This course traces key developments in French civilization from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and into the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Organized into three historical periods, the course combines broad cultural overviews with close readings of selected texts and images.

Topics include the emergence and evolution of ideas about language and territory, love and courtesy, education and faith, artistic and literary expression, scientific inquiry, and political and philosophical thought. Attention is given to how these traditions shaped French culture and how they interacted with and influenced wider European trends.