In 1450, just fifty years before the discovery of Brazil, an advisor to the King of France receives his pension.
Handwritten note from Bérard de La Motte to the treasurer of the French cities of Carcasonne et de Béziers.
One page.
In French.
23 cm x 15 cm.
France, Roquetaillade castle, July 31, 1450.
Excellent condition conservation.
Unique piece.
Excerpt
I acknowledge having received from the treasurer of Carcassonne and Béziers the sum of 500 pounds, which he is entitled to take annually for his pension.
Advisor and chamberlain to King Charles VII of France (1403-1461), Bérard de La Motte was one of the Lords of Guyenne who supported the King of France during his reign (1422-1461). He lived during an important moment in French history, inseparable from Joan of Arc, when France gradually reconquered territories occupied by the English, the last being Guyenne (the Bordeaux region), mentioned in this letter, in 1453.
This note was actually written at the Roquetaillade castle, near Bordeaux, one of the first 1,000 buildings declared historical monuments and protected by France in 1840.
This document is obviously remarkable for the historical period it describes, both for France and for Brazil: we imagine that only 50 years later, Brazil was discovered by Cabral. Besides the incredible 15th-century calligraphy, this document is notable for its exceptional condition for a 568-year-old document. It belonged to a renowned French collector, Léon Muller, a specialist in French history (especially Napoleon).
