January 12, 2024
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Florentin Briffaz, « The Medieval principality of Savoy. Political and Present Uses of a dynastic construction on both side of the Alps », HALSHS : archive ouverte en Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société, ID : 10.35562/frontieres.1843
The medieval principality of Savoy offers a real case for studying the political uses of the medieval past in the 21st century, in a contemporary transnational context. On this side of the Alps, the Savoyard autonomy and independence movements, which are losing momentum, use more or less implicit references to the former medieval duchy in their communication. However, 2016 marked a turning point in many respects. The 600th anniversary of the birth of the Duchy of Savoy gave rise to a series of academic commemorations to reexamine this key period. The medieval Savoyard past became more visible, but this period of scientific events was also used as a political platform by several politicians to support projects of governance change (for instance, the merger of the departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie). In the speeches, the reforms were part of the distant heritage of the principality. Finally, the question of the current political use of the princely past inevitably arises in relation to the House of Savoy, whose dynasty still exists. This relationship, which is historically more sensitive on the Italian side (with the exile of the former royal family from 1946 to 2002), has now given way to a deep disinterest for a large part of the public. The Savoies are confined to the tabloids (celebrity press, reality TV shows).