Clément Marot

This website is dedicated to the French Renaissance poet Clément Marot (Cahors 1496 - Turin 1544). Why? Because he deserves a 'monument'.

There is one, in his native town, Cahors (Fr), a fountain wiht a beautiful buste of the old Marot against a nicely made stone mosaique. There was one, in Turin, in the form of an epitaph (poem) by his friend Lyon Jamet, engraved in marble in the Turin Cathedral. It was wiped out, removed, destroyed in 1575 because the Bishop of Turin could not stand it any more that this 'heretic' had a literary monumentum in his Church. The most important monument however he erected himself: his writings. Even after so many centuries - provided one succeeds in breaking down the wall of the ancient style/old French - some of his chansons go right into your heart, some of his rhymed epistles written in exile do move you, and his Psalm versifications: well they are not sung today anymore, but they gave the impetus to the singing reformation of John Calvin and inspired so many composers in the 16th century.

Therefore I think it is appropriate to inaugurate a literary monument in his honour on the internet.

It will be gradually built up, starting from this index page.

An Antwerp Admirer