Order of Saint Michael
The Ordre de Saint -Michel (Michael Medal ) is a French order of knighthood.
Foundation
King Louis XI. founded it on August 1, 1469 in Amboise, in response to the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece. Purpose of the order was not least the strengthening of royal central power at the expense of the power of the nobility. Accordingly, the Order of Michael was also under the leadership of the king, who bore the title of chief et Souverain. On him the Knights had to also make a personal oath.
Seat
As the seat of the Order of the abbey of Mont -Saint -Michel in Normandy was planned originally. However, they proved to be so remote that took place there not a single religious congregation.
Already in 1496 the office was moved to the Chapel of Saint -Michel du Palais in Paris. For a long time suffered from the Order from insufficient funding. 1496, Charles VIII went with a request to the Pope to build the chapel a priest College, in whose rooms the Order could meet. 1497 approved by papal bull, the plan was not pursued after Charles' death a year later.
1555, including the headquarters were moved to Vincennes.
Chain of orders
The knights wore a gold necklace with nodes connected shells, from which hung a dragon slayer Michael pointing medallion.
Members
Originally belonged to Michael medals on only representatives of the nobility, such as siblings to the king dukes of Berry, Anjou, Bourbon and Orléans and members of the Houses Luxembourg, Laval, La Trémoille, Chabannes, Crussol, Rohan, Dunois, Melun and Artois. Included were also a king of Denmark, and a of Scotland. The Duke of Brittany refused entry into the Order of hostility to the royal family, the Duke of funds because of his membership in the Order of the Golden Fleece. Under Charles VIII of foreigners rose, inter alia, by the inclusion of members of the houses of Savoy, as well as Stuart and the Venetian Ambassador Luca Spinola.
Originally, the number of surviving members of the Order of Michael on 31, then limited to 36. 1565 the limit was officially lifted as part of the religious wars to 50, 1578 100 Louis XIV also softened that limit to temporarily while his successor they strictly sat down again, but took up more than non - New and nobles in the Order as any other king before him. In fact, the official limit was exceeded but anyway usually far: When the throne of Henri III. in 1574, the Order should have included the 700 knights.
Declining importance
Because of numerical expansion and the increasing opening of the lower nobility and the bourgeoisie suffered the Order, especially against the Order of the Golden Fleece and the Order of the Garter a significant loss of prestige. His insignia was called now derisively " le collier à toutes bêtes " ( " Allerweltskette ").
Not least, in response thereto, Henri III. 1578 the Ordre du Saint -Esprit. This was foreign reigning princes and the nobility of France, including the royal princes reserved. Its members belonged to her appointment automatically also members of the Order of Michael.
Since the time of Louis XV. is the Order strengthened open writers, artists and officials. The necklace is rarely worn. They have been replaced by a black ribbon bearing the name "cordon noir" earned the Order. In place of Michael Medallions entered a golden or enameled cross.
Resolution
In the wake of the revolution of Michael Order was dissolved in 1791 as well as the other orders. In 1814 he was revived briefly, and it hardly more came to the appointment of new knights. King Louis- Philippe finally made him finally from 1830.
In the twentieth century, yet manifested two Spanish Bourbon descendants of their claim to the French throne by awarding the St. Michael Order: Duke James I appointed on August 2, 1929, Count Jean d' Andigné and on August 25, 1930 his son Amedée knights. 1960 Duke took James II equal to six people in the Order on: his secretary Patrick Esclafer de la Rode, Count Pierre de la Forest Divonne, Massimo Sciolette, Teodoro Constanti Zarifi, Karl- Otto Ziesniss and an additional person remained unknown.