Great Chronicles of France

(Les Grandes Chro-niques de France), royal chronicle compilation of the 13th to 15th centuries, written in French and encompassing the history of France from the most ancient times through the 15th century.

In 1274 the monk Primat of the Saint Denis Monastery translated the Saint Denis Chronicles from Latin into French with certain revisions and additions and continued the narration, bringing it up to his own time. This French compilation, which acquired the title “Great Chronicles of France” at the beginning of the 14th century, was subsequently added to by the Saint Denis monk Guillaume de Nangis and others. During the period 1350–1380 the Great Chronicles of France were compiled at the court of Charles V by Chancellor Pierre d’Orgemont. In 1476 the Great Chronicles of France appeared in printed form, and by this time they had been brought up to the beginning of the reign of Louis XI. The Great Chronicles of France were an official compilation and were written from the standpoint of the defense of the interests of the king’s power. They were popular and played a large role in forming the common cultural heritage of the French people. The Great Chronicles of France are an important source for the political history of France.