Comte de Lyon
Encyclopedia
In France of the Ancien Régime, the title of comte de Lyon ("Count of Lyon") was purely honorific. There had been a comes Lugdunensis, a military governor, in the early 5th-century Roman Notitia dignitatum
, and among the Merovingians an Armentarius was comes Lugdunensis during the tenure of Nicetius, Bishop of Lyons (552-73). In a document of 818, a Bermond is noted as comes Lugdunensis, a non-hereditary appointment made by Charlemagne
. But the title as inheritable was attached to the comté de Forez
in a document of ca 1097, confirming the founding of a hospital at Montbrison, and it fell from use with comte Guy IV in the early 13th century.
The title comte de Lyon was not subsequently attached to a seigneurie nor was it hereditary but was carried by the Doyen (the Dean
) and each of the canon
s of the cathedral of Lyon. The cathedral chapter
of Lyon was among the most eminent of France and claimed to have been founded by "John, king of Burgundy" [sic] who filled it with lords of the noblest houses. The canons, nobilissimi Comites Lugduni in public proclamations, "most noble counts of Lyon", had to prove that they were nobles de quatre races, on both the paternal and maternal side, in other words that all their great-grandparents had been noble, the notorious seize quartiers
or "sixteen quarterings" of a coat-of-arms.
The canons enjoyed some extraordinary privileges: they officiated at mass
with the mitre
of a bishop on their heads, whether priest or deacon or sub-deacon. A transcription made in 1672 of an old document records that "none, with the exception of the counts, may put his coat-of-arms on the altar during celebration of masses for the dead
". Their extraordinary pretension drew a censure from the Sorbonne
, 18 April 1555, condemning the refusal of the canon-counts to genuflect at the elevation of the Host; the dispute, in which the Dean and the canon-counts were opposed, had to be taken to the Cardinal of Lorraine
and the Cardinal de Tournon
for adjudication, where they were reminded that even the kings of France bent the knee at this occasion; however, the canons obtained an order in council, 23 August 1555 maintaining them in this privilege, which they renounced voluntarily in the reign of Louis XIV
for fear of the king's displeasure.
François-Joachim de Pierre, Cardinal de Bernis
, who owed his preferment to Mme de Pompadour, was taxed by her, when they eventually broke: "I raised you out of the mud". The Cardinal, who had arrived in Paris very young, with only 1500 livre
s in income, but agreeable in face and manners, and a comte de Lyon, replied justly: "un comte de Lyon ne peut pas être tiré de la boue"— "a comte de Lyon cannot be raised from the mud".
Notitia Dignitatum
The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. One of the very few surviving documents of Roman government, it details the administrative organisation of the eastern and western empires, listing several thousand offices from the imperial court down to the provincial...
, and among the Merovingians an Armentarius was comes Lugdunensis during the tenure of Nicetius, Bishop of Lyons (552-73). In a document of 818, a Bermond is noted as comes Lugdunensis, a non-hereditary appointment made by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. But the title as inheritable was attached to the comté de Forez
Forez
Forez is a former province of France, corresponding approximately to the central part of the modern Loire département and a part of the Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme départements....
in a document of ca 1097, confirming the founding of a hospital at Montbrison, and it fell from use with comte Guy IV in the early 13th century.
The title comte de Lyon was not subsequently attached to a seigneurie nor was it hereditary but was carried by the Doyen (the Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
) and each of the canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s of the cathedral of Lyon. The cathedral chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
of Lyon was among the most eminent of France and claimed to have been founded by "John, king of Burgundy" [sic] who filled it with lords of the noblest houses. The canons, nobilissimi Comites Lugduni in public proclamations, "most noble counts of Lyon", had to prove that they were nobles de quatre races, on both the paternal and maternal side, in other words that all their great-grandparents had been noble, the notorious seize quartiers
Seize Quartiers
Seize Quartiers are literally a person's "sixteen quarters", the coat-of-arms of their sixteen great-great-grandparents, which are typically accompanied by a five generation genealogy outlining the relationship between them and their descendant...
or "sixteen quarterings" of a coat-of-arms.
The canons enjoyed some extraordinary privileges: they officiated at mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
with the mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
of a bishop on their heads, whether priest or deacon or sub-deacon. A transcription made in 1672 of an old document records that "none, with the exception of the counts, may put his coat-of-arms on the altar during celebration of masses for the dead
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
". Their extraordinary pretension drew a censure from the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, 18 April 1555, condemning the refusal of the canon-counts to genuflect at the elevation of the Host; the dispute, in which the Dean and the canon-counts were opposed, had to be taken to the Cardinal of Lorraine
Cardinal of Lorraine
Cardinal of Lorraine may refer to:*John, Cardinal of Lorraine *Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine *Nicolas, Cardinal of Lorraine...
and the Cardinal de Tournon
François de Tournon
François de Tournon was a French Augustinian diplomat and Cardinal. From 1536 he was also a military leader of French forces operating in Provence, Savoy and Piedmont. In the same year he founded the Collège de Tournon. For a period he was effectively France's foreign minister.-External links:*...
for adjudication, where they were reminded that even the kings of France bent the knee at this occasion; however, the canons obtained an order in council, 23 August 1555 maintaining them in this privilege, which they renounced voluntarily in the reign of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
for fear of the king's displeasure.
François-Joachim de Pierre, Cardinal de Bernis
François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis
François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis was a French cardinal and statesman. He was the sixth member elected to occupy seat 3 of the Académie française in 1744.- Biography :...
, who owed his preferment to Mme de Pompadour, was taxed by her, when they eventually broke: "I raised you out of the mud". The Cardinal, who had arrived in Paris very young, with only 1500 livre
Livré
Livré-la-Touche is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. Prior to October 6, 2008, it was known as Livré....
s in income, but agreeable in face and manners, and a comte de Lyon, replied justly: "un comte de Lyon ne peut pas être tiré de la boue"— "a comte de Lyon cannot be raised from the mud".