66-580: Pluviôse ( French pronunciation: [plyvjoz] ; also Pluviose ) was the fifth month in the French Republican Calendar . The month was named after the Latin word pluviosus 'rainy'. Pluviôse was the second month of the winter quarter ( mois d'hiver ), starting between the 20th and 22 January, and ending between the 18th and 20 February. It follows Nivôse and precedes Ventôse . On October 24, 1793 Fabre d'Églantine suggested new names for
132-505: A mule holding aloft the papal crucifix . The pope entered Notre Dame first, to the anthem Tu es Petrus , and took his seat on a throne near the high altar. Napoleon and Joséphine's carriage was drawn by eight bay horses and escorted by Mounted Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard and Elite Gendarmes of the Imperial Guard . (The ormolu fitting from the carriage was owned for several years by American preservationist Jim Williams . It
198-615: A XI date to avoid confusion with the Roman II. The French Revolution is usually considered to have ended with the coup of 18 Brumaire , Year VIII (9 November 1799), the coup d'état of Napoleon Bonaparte against the established constitutional regime of the Directoire . The Concordat of 1801 re-established the Roman Catholic Church as an official institution in France, although not as
264-451: A crimson velvet tunic and a short crimson coat with satin lining, a wreath of laurel on his brow. The number of onlookers, as estimated by Wairy, was between four and five thousand, many of whom had held their places all night through intermittent showers that cleared in the morning. The ceremony started at 9:00 a.m. when the papal procession set out from the Tuileries led by a bishop on
330-477: A long white satin tunic embroidered in gold thread and Josephine similarly wore a white satin empire-style dress embroidered in gold thread. During the coronation he was formally clothed in a heavy coronation mantle of crimson velvet lined with ermine ; the velvet was covered with embroidered golden bees, drawn from the golden bees among the regalia that had been discovered in the Merovingian tomb of Childeric I ,
396-491: A new coronation ceremony unlike that for the kings of France , which had emphasised the king's consecration ( sacre ) and anointment and was conferred by the archbishop of Reims in Reims Cathedral . Napoleon's was a sacred ceremony held in the great cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in the presence of Pope Pius VII . Napoleon brought together various rites and customs, incorporating ceremonies of Carolingian tradition,
462-508: A small crown surmounted by a cross, which he had first placed on his own head. The crowning formula was varied to use a plural form (" Coronet vos ..." instead of " Coronet te ..."), precisely because the Coronation of Joséphine followed immediately after the assumption of the Crown by Napoleon. As for the omitted Roman formula Accipe coronam... , which depicted the monarch as receiving his crown from
528-458: A symbol that looked beyond the Bourbon past and linked the new dynasty with the ancient Merovingians; the bee replaced the fleur-de-lis on imperial tapestries and garments. The mantle weighed at least eighty pounds and was supported by four dignitaries. Joséphine was at the same time formally clothed in a similar crimson velvet mantle embroidered with bees in gold thread and lined with ermine, which
594-400: Is a similar but simplified rite of anointing, investiture, coronation and enthronement of the consort performed. However, for the coronation of Napoleon and Joséphine, each of those steps was performed jointly, so that Joséphine was anointed immediately after Napoleon, and each item of regalia was delivered to her immediately after being given to him, a procedure that found no precedent either in
660-455: Is seen several times in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil .) The two parts of the ceremony were held at different ends of Notre Dame to contrast its religious and secular facets. An unmanned balloon , ablaze with three thousand lights in an imperial crown pattern, was launched from the front of Notre Dame during the celebration. Before entering Notre Dame, Napoleon was vested in
726-418: Is that Napoleon was symbolizing that he was becoming emperor based on his own merits and the will of the people, and not in the name of a religious consecration. The pope knew about this move from the beginning and had no objection (not that it would have mattered)." British historian Vincent Cronin wrote in his book Napoleon Bonaparte: An Intimate Biography that "Napoleon told Pius that he would be placing
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#1732873513139792-510: The Ancien Régime (the old feudal monarchy); some of these were more successful than others. The new Republican government sought to institute, among other reforms, a new social and legal system, a new system of weights and measures (which became the metric system ), and a new calendar. Amid nostalgia for the ancient Roman Republic , the theories of the Age of Enlightenment were at their peak, and
858-626: The Journal officiel for some dates during a short period of the Paris Commune , 6–23 May 1871 (16 Floréal–3 Prairial Year LXXIX). Years appear in writing as Roman numerals (usually), with epoch 22 September 1792, the beginning of the "Republican Era" (the day the French First Republic was proclaimed, one day after the Convention abolished the monarchy). As a result, Roman Numeral I indicates
924-776: The ancien régime , and the French Revolution , all presented in sumptuous luxury. On May 18, 1804, the Sénat conservateur vested the Republican government of the French First Republic in an emperor, and preparations for the coronation followed. Napoleon's elevation to emperor was overwhelmingly approved by the French people in the French constitutional referendum of 1804 . Among Napoleon's motivations for being crowned were to gain prestige in international royalist and Catholic circles and to lay
990-578: The Cult of the Supreme Being , the Decadary Cult , and Theophilanthropy . Christian holidays were officially abolished in favor of revolutionary holidays. The law of 13 Fructidor year VI (August 30, 1798) required that marriages must only be celebrated on décadis. This law was applied from the 1st Vendémiaire year VII (September 22, 1798) to 28 Pluviôse year VIII (February 17, 1800). Décades were abandoned at
1056-578: The French First Republic was proclaimed , and the new National Convention decided that 1792 was to be known as Year I of the French Republic. It decreed on 2 January 1793 that Year II of the Republic had begun the day before. However, the new calendar as adopted by the Convention in October 1793 made 22 September 1792 the first day of Year I. Ultimately, the calendar came to commemorate the Republic, and not
1122-472: The French Republican Calendar , and on the 24th November the National Convention accepted the names with minor changes. It was decided to omit the circumflex ( accent circonflexe ) in the names of the winter months, so the month was named Pluviose instead of Pluviôse . However, in historiography the spelling Pluviôse is still preferred. Like all FRC months Pluviôse lasted 30 days and
1188-583: The French Revolutionary calendar ( calendrier révolutionnaire français ), was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution , and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871, and meant to replace the Gregorian calendar . The calendar consisted of twelve 30-day months, each divided into three 10-day cycles similar to weeks, plus five or six intercalary days at
1254-559: The Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. As the rapporteur of the commission, Charles-Gilbert Romme presented the new calendar to the Jacobin -controlled National Convention on 23 September 1793, which adopted it on 24 October 1793 and also extended it proleptically to its epoch of 22 September 1792. It is because of his position as rapporteur of the commission that the creation of
1320-661: The Netherlands , Germany , Switzerland , Malta , and Italy . The National Constituent Assembly at first intended to create a new calendar marking the "era of Liberty", beginning on 14 July 1789, the date of the Storming of the Bastille . However, on 2 January 1792 its successor the Legislative Assembly decided that Year IV of Liberty had begun the day before. Year I had therefore begun on 1 January 1789. On 21 September 1792,
1386-455: The coronation of Napoleon as Empereur des Français (Emperor of the French) on 11 Frimaire, Year XIII (2 December 1804), but the republican calendar would remain in place for another year. Napoleon finally abolished the republican calendar with effect from 1 January 1806 (the day after 10 Nivôse Year XIV), a little over twelve years after its introduction. It was, however, used again briefly in
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#17328735131391452-400: The "crown of Charlemagne" for the occasion, was waiting on the altar. While the crown was new, the sceptre was reputed to have belonged to Charles V and the sword to Philip III . The coronation proper began with the singing of the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus , followed by the versicle, "Lord, send forth your Spirit" and response, "And renew the face of the earth" and the collect for
1518-542: The Church, its use would have clashed with Napoleon's decision to crown himself. Historian J. David Markham , who also serves as head of the International Napoleonic Society, alleged in his book Napoleon For Dummies "Napoleon's detractors like to say that he snatched the crown from the pope, or that this was an act of unbelievable arrogance, but neither of those charges holds water. The most likely explanation
1584-682: The Feast of Pentecost , "God, who has taught the hearts of your faithful by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit,..." After this the prayer, "Almighty, everlasting God, the Creator of all..." During the Litany of the Saints , the Emperor and Empress remained seated, only kneeling for special petitions. The Emperor and Empress were both anointed on their heads and on both hands with chrism – the Emperor with
1650-591: The French on Sunday, December 2, 1804 (11 Frimaire , Year XIII according to the French Republican calendar , commonly used at the time in France), at Notre-Dame de Paris in Paris . It marked "the instantiation of [the] modern empire " and was a "transparently masterminded piece of modern propaganda". Napoleon wanted to establish the legitimacy of his imperial reign with its new dynasty and nobility. To this end, he designed
1716-409: The French originals, they are neologisms suggesting a meaning related to the season. The month is divided into three décades or "weeks" of ten days each, named: Décadis became official days of rest instead of Sundays, in order to diminish the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. They were used for the festivals of a succession of new religions meant to replace Catholicism: the Cult of Reason ,
1782-600: The Mass was finished, the pope retired to the Sacristy, as he objected to presiding over or witnessing the civil oath that followed, due to its contents. With his hands on the Bible , Napoleon took the oath: I swear to maintain the integrity of the territory of the Republic, to respect and enforce respect for the Concordat and freedom of religion, equality of rights, political and civil liberty,
1848-430: The Republic, which was established in 1792. Immediately following 14 July 1789, papers and pamphlets started calling 1789 year I of Liberty and the following years II and III. It was in 1792, with the practical problem of dating financial transactions, that the legislative assembly was confronted with the problem of the calendar. Originally, the choice of epoch was either 1 January 1789 or 14 July 1789. After some hesitation
1914-599: The Republican Calendar by Roman numerals ran counter to this general decimalization tendency. The Republican calendar year began the day the autumnal equinox occurred in Paris, and had twelve months of 30 days each, which were given new names based on nature, principally having to do with the prevailing weather in and around Paris and sometimes evoking the Medieval Labours of the Months . The extra five or six days in
1980-607: The Revolution. The Common Era, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, was abolished and replaced with l'ère républicaine , the Republican Era, signifying the "age of reason" overcoming superstition, as part of the campaign of dechristianization . The First Republic ended with the coronation of Napoleon I as Emperor on 11 Frimaire, Year XIII, or 2 December 1804. Despite this, the republican calendar continued to be used until 1 January 1806, when Napoleon declared it abolished. It
2046-572: The Roman Pontifical or in the French Ceremonial. For the crowning, as recorded in the official procès-verbal of the Coronation the formula Coronet vos Deus... , a variation to the plural of the traditional Latin formula Coronet te Deus (God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness) – a formula that is also proper to the British coronation rite – was used exclusively, instead of
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2112-579: The Roman formula Accipe coronam... (Receive the crown). This differed to the usage of the French royal coronations, in which both formulas – the Roman Accipe coronam regni... and the Anglo-French Coronet te Deus... – were recited successively. While the pope recited the above-mentioned formula, Napoleon turned and removed his laurel wreath and crowned himself and then crowned the kneeling Joséphine with
2178-436: The assembly decided on 2 January 1792 that all official documents would use the "era of Liberty" and that the year IV of Liberty started on 1 January 1792. This usage was modified on 22 September 1792 when the Republic was proclaimed and the Convention decided that all public documents would be dated Year I of the French Republic. The decree of 2 January 1793 stipulated that the year II of the Republic began on 1 January 1793; this
2244-421: The calendar, the agricultural system, and of leading the nation back to it, marking the times and the fractions of the year by intelligible or visible signs taken from agriculture and the rural economy. (...) As the calendar is something that we use so often, we must take advantage of this frequency of use to put elementary notions of agriculture before the people – to show the richness of nature, to make them love
2310-476: The changeover from Germinal to Floréal year X (20 to 21 April 1802), after Napoleon's Concordat with the Pope. The Roman Catholic Church used a calendar of saints , which named each day of the year after an associated saint . To reduce the influence of the Church, Fabre d'Églantine introduced a Rural Calendar in which each day of the year had a unique name associated with the rural economy , stated to correspond to
2376-447: The chemist Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau , the mathematician and astronomer Joseph-Louis Lagrange , the astronomer Jérôme Lalande , the mathematician Gaspard Monge , the astronomer and naval geographer Alexandre Guy Pingré , and the poet, actor and playwright Fabre d'Églantine , who invented the names of the months, with the help of André Thouin , gardener at the Jardin des plantes of
2442-623: The column of each month, the names of the real treasures of the rural economy. The grains, the pastures, the trees, the roots, the flowers, the fruits, the plants are arranged in the calendar, in such a way that the place and the day of the month that each product occupies is precisely the season and the day that Nature presents it to us. The following pictures, showing twelve allegories for the months, were illustrated by French painter Louis Lafitte (1779–1828), and engraved by Salvatore Tresca [ fr ] (1750–1815). Five extra days – six in leap years – were national holidays at
2508-416: The crown on his own head. Pius raised no objection." At Napoleon's enthronement the Pope said, "May God confirm you on this throne and may Christ give you to rule with him in his eternal kingdom". Limited in his actions, Pius VII proclaimed further the Latin formula Vivat imperator in aeternum! (May the Emperor live forever!), which was echoed by the full choirs in a Vivat , followed by " Te Deum ". After
2574-423: The day. After the epistle, the articles of the imperial regalia were individually blessed, and delivered to the Emperor and Empress. The coronation of Napoleon and Joséphine also differed in this respect from the pattern observed in other Western coronation rites: usually, in joint coronations of sovereign and consort, the sovereign is first anointed, invested with the regalia, crowned and enthroned, and only then
2640-448: The devisers of the new systems looked to nature for their inspiration. Natural constants, multiples of ten, and Latin as well as Ancient Greek derivations formed the fundamental blocks from which the new systems were built. The new calendar was created by a commission under the direction of the politician Gilbert Romme seconded by Claude Joseph Ferry [ fr ] and Charles-François Dupuis . They associated with their work
2706-562: The end of every year. These were originally known as les sans-culottides (after sans-culottes ), but after year III (1795) as les jours complémentaires : Below are the Gregorian dates each year of the Republican Era ( Ère Républicaine in French) began while the calendar was in effect. Leap years are highlighted The Republican Calendar was abolished in the year XIV (1805). After this year, there are two historically attested calendars which may be used to determine dates. Both calendars gave
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2772-455: The end to fill out the balance of a solar year . It was designed in part to remove all religious and royalist influences from the calendar, and it was part of a larger attempt at dechristianization and decimalisation in France (which also included decimal time of day, decimalisation of currency, and metrication ). It was used in government records in France and other areas under French rule, including Belgium , Luxembourg , and parts of
2838-487: The fact that it had taken the revolution four years to establish a republican government in France. The leap year was called Sextile , an allusion to the " bissextile " leap years of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, because it contained a sixth complementary day. Each day in the Republican Calendar was divided into ten hours, each hour into 100 decimal minutes, and each decimal minute into 100 decimal seconds. Thus an hour
2904-430: The fields, and to methodically show them the order of the influences of the heavens and of the products of the earth. The priests assigned the commemoration of a so-called saint to each day of the year: this catalogue exhibited neither utility nor method; it was a collection of lies, of deceit or of charlatanism. We thought that the nation, after having kicked out this canonised mob from its calendar, must replace it with
2970-502: The first year of the republic, that is, the year before the calendar actually came into use. By law, the beginning of each year was set at midnight, beginning on the day the apparent autumnal equinox falls at the Paris Observatory. There were twelve months, each divided into three ten-day weeks called décades . The tenth day, décadi , replaced Sunday as the day of rest and festivity. The five or six extra days needed to approximate
3036-528: The foundation for a future dynasty. In 1805, Napoleon was also separately crowned with the Iron Crown as King of Italy in Milan Cathedral . When Pope Pius VII agreed to come to Paris to officiate at Napoleon's coronation, it was initially established that it would follow the coronation liturgy in the Roman Pontifical. However, after the Pope's arrival, Napoleon persuaded the papal delegation to allow
3102-429: The imperial standards to each of his regiments. According to government tallies, the entire cost was over 8.5 million francs . In addition to Jacques-Louis David 's paintings, including the famous The Coronation of Napoleon , a commemorative medal was struck with the reverse design by Antoine-Denis Chaudet . In 2005, a digital depiction of the coronation was made by Vaughan Hart , Peter Hicks , and Joe Robson for
3168-419: The inclusion of several prayers and formulas from the coronations of French kings, to bless the regalia as it was delivered. In essence, French and Roman elements were combined into a new rite unique to the occasion. Also, the special rite composed ad hoc allowed Napoleon to remain mostly seated and not kneeling during the delivery of the regalia and during several other ceremonies, and reduced his acceptance of
3234-470: The introduction of several French elements in the rite – such as the singing of the Veni Creator Spiritus followed by the collect of Pentecost for the monarch's entrance procession, the use of chrism instead of the oil of catechumens for the anointing (although the Roman anointing prayers were used), placing the sacred oil on the head and hands rather than the right arm and back of the neck, and
3300-601: The irrevocability of the sale of national lands; not to raise any tax except in virtue of the law; to maintain the institution of Legion of Honour and to govern in the sole interest, happiness and glory of the French people. The text was presented to Napoleon by the President of the Senate , the President of the Legislature , and the most senior President of the Council of State . After
3366-474: The months are the same as those in the Gregorian calendar; however, the 10th, 20th, and 30th days are singled out of each month as the end of a décade (group of ten days). Individual days were assigned, instead of to the traditional saints, to people noteworthy for mostly secular achievements. Later editions of the almanac would switch to the Republican Calendar. The days of the French Revolution and Republic saw many efforts to sweep away various trappings of
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#17328735131393432-512: The oath demanded by the Church in the beginning of the liturgy to one word only. Not wanting to be an ancien régime monarch, Napoleon explained: "To be a king is to inherit old ideas and genealogy. I don't want to descend from anyone." According to Louis Constant Wairy , Napoleon awoke at 8:00 a.m. to the sound of a cannonade and left the Tuileries Palace at 11:00 a.m. in a white velvet vest embedded gold embroidery and diamond buttons,
3498-414: The oath the newly appointed herald of arms proclaimed loudly: "The thrice glorious and thrice august Emperor Napoleon is crowned and enthroned. Long live the Emperor!" During the people's acclamations Napoleon, surrounded by dignitaries, left the cathedral while the choir sang " Domine salvum fac imperatorem nostrum Napoleonem " (God save our Emperor Napoleon). After the coronation the Emperor presented
3564-400: The objects that make up the true riches of the nation, worthy objects not from a cult, but from agriculture – useful products of the soil, the tools that we use to cultivate it, and the domesticated animals, our faithful servants in these works; animals much more precious, without doubt, to the eye of reason, than the beatified skeletons pulled from the catacombs of Rome. So we have arranged in
3630-607: The prayers, "God, the Son of God..." and "God who established Hazael over Syria...", the Empress with the prayer, "God the Father of eternal glory..." – while the antiphon Unxerunt Salomonem Sadoc Sacerdos... (Zadok the priest...) was sung. The Mass then began. At Napoleon's request, the collect of the Blessed Virgin (as the patron of the cathedral) was said in place of the proper collect for
3696-526: The republican calendar is attributed to Romme. The calendar is frequently named the "French Revolutionary Calendar" because it was created during the Revolution, but this is a slight misnomer. In France, it is known as the calendrier républicain as well as the calendrier révolutionnaire . There was initially a debate as to whether the calendar should celebrate the Great Revolution, which began in July 1789, or
3762-421: The same dates for years 17 to 52 (1808–1844), always beginning on 23 September, and it was suggested, but never adopted, that the reformed calendar be implemented during this period, before the Republican Calendar was abolished. XV (15) 1806 23 September 23 September XVI (16) 1807 24 September* Coronation of Napoleon Napoleon I and his wife Joséphine were crowned Emperor and Empress of
3828-502: The solar or tropical year were placed after the final month of each year and called complementary days . This arrangement was an almost exact copy of the calendar used by the Ancient Egyptians , though in their case the year did not begin and end on the autumnal equinox. A period of four years ending on a leap day was to be called a "Franciade". The name " Olympique " was originally proposed but changed to Franciade to commemorate
3894-411: The state religion of France. The concordat took effect from Easter Sunday, 28 Germinal, Year XI (8 April 1802); it restored the names of the days of the week to the ones from the Gregorian calendar , and fixed Sunday as the official day of rest and religious celebration. However, the other attributes of the republican calendar, the months, and years, remained as they were. The French Republic ended with
3960-414: The time of year. Every décadi (ending in 0) was named after an agricultural tool. Each quintidi (ending in 5) was named for a common animal. The rest of the days were named for "grain, pasture, trees, roots, flowers, fruits" and other plants, except for the first month of winter, Nivôse, during which the rest of the days were named after minerals. Our starting point was the idea of celebrating, through
4026-849: The year were not given a month designation, but considered Sansculottides or Complementary Days . Most of the month names were new words coined from French, Latin , or Greek . The endings of the names are grouped by season. -dor comes from δῶρον , dō̂ron means 'giving' in Greek. In Britain, a contemporary wit mocked the Republican Calendar by calling the months: Wheezy , Sneezy , and Freezy ; Slippy , Drippy , and Nippy ; Showery , Flowery , and Bowery ; Hoppy , Croppy , and Poppy . The historian Thomas Carlyle suggested somewhat more serious English names in his 1837 work The French Revolution: A History , namely Vintagearious, Fogarious, Frostarious, Snowous, Rainous, Windous, Buddal, Floweral, Meadowal, Reapidor, Heatidor, and Fruitidor. Like
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#17328735131394092-492: Was 144 conventional minutes (2.4 times as long as a conventional hour), a minute was 86.4 conventional seconds (44% longer than a conventional minute), and a second was 0.864 conventional seconds (13.6% shorter than a conventional second). Clocks were manufactured to display this decimal time , but it did not catch on. Mandatory use of decimal time was officially suspended 7 April 1795, although some cities continued to use decimal time as late as 1801. The numbering of years in
4158-470: Was borne by Napoleon's three sisters. There were two orchestras with four choruses, numerous military bands playing heroic marches, and over three hundred musicians. A 400-voice choir performed Giovanni Paisiello 's " Mass " and " Te Deum ". Because the traditional coronation crown had been destroyed during the French Revolution, the so-called Crown of Napoleon , made to look medieval and called
4224-497: Was briefly used again for a few weeks of the Paris Commune , in May 1871. The prominent atheist essayist and philosopher Sylvain Maréchal published the first edition of his Almanach des Honnêtes-gens (Almanac of Honest People) in 1788. The first month in the almanac is "Mars, ou Princeps" (March, or First), the last month is "Février, ou Duodécembre" (February, or Twelfth). The lengths of
4290-403: Was divided into three 10-day weeks called décades (decades). Each day had the name of an agricultural plant, except the 5th (Quintidi) and 10th day (Decadi) of every decade, which had the name of a domestic animal (Quintidi) or an agricultural tool (Decadi). French Republican Calendar The French Republican calendar ( French : calendrier républicain français ), also commonly called
4356-512: Was revoked with the introduction of the new calendar, which set 22 September 1793 as the beginning of year II. The establishment of the Republic was used as the epochal date for the calendar; therefore, the calendar commemorates the Republic, and not the Revolution. French coins of the period naturally used this calendar. Many show the year ( French : an ) in Arabic numbers, although Roman numerals were used on some issues. Year 11 coins typically have
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