Female Agency and Early Modern Urbanism: The Paris of Maria de' Medici

Subject and Section
Professor's Name
Date
Female Agency and Early Modern Urbanism: The Paris of Maria de' Medici
In the sixteenth century, making Paris into a "modern capital" made several significant figures due to their tremendous and continuous contributions to the city's development. One of these key figures is Queen Maria de' Medici, who was somewhat forgotten despite her incredible impact on Paris's image that remains as of now. Her outstanding contribution was what people call The Paris of Maria de Medici that focused on the Left Bank's development (Galetti).
The construction and decoration of Luxembourg Palace were one of the projects led by Queen Maria de' Medici. According to Marrow, the Queen gave her best interest in the development of the establishment. Although there were no authentic documents that spines the idea of the Queen overseeing the construction, it was stated that she and her advisers were communicating with each other indirectly. Afterward, the Queen then forwarded her authority about the Luxembourg Palac to his son. Another contribution was in 1613 when she ordered to establish an aqueduct that was soon called Arcueil Aqueduct. The Queen wanted to produce water for the Garden of the Luxembourg Palace, so she called for Thomas Francine, the Superintendent of Water and Fountains, to lead the construction (Swensen 156). This project was soon have been promoted as a big project that served as a water connection for most public fountains and households of aristocrats, officials, and institutions.
Queen Maria de' Medici's contributions not only limit to these two since these are just a few of them. According to Galetti, she acted as the key to these improvements by focusing on Seine and South Paris's financial and construction. The scholars did not recognize these contributions because it was head by the Royal Family's women (190). Thus, the Queen deserves more recognition than she has now since her figure promotes a woman's capabilities.
Works Cited
Galletti, Sara. "Female Agency and Early Modern Urbanism: The Paris of Maria de'Medici." Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 71.2 (2012): 186-203. DOI: 10.1525/jsah.201...