French Literature Reviews - 2026

Sarah Alyn Stacey, Marc-Claude de Buttet (1529/31-1586) - L'honneur de la Savoie
Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Marc-Claude de Buttet (1529/31-1586). L'honneur de la Savoie

Sarah Alyn Stacey

Paris, Champion, 2006

Publisher's overview:

A friend of the Pléiade, a pupil of the illustrious Jean Daurat, and a protégé of Francis I's daughter, Marguerite of France, Marc-Claude de Buttet (1529/31-1586) was recognized during his lifetime as his homeland's premier poet, "the honor of Savoy." Serving first as a panegyrist at the French court and later at the Savoyard court, he became renowned primarily for his two poetry collections, Le Premier Livre des odes... (1560) and L'Amalthée (1575). His quantitative verse earned him a reputation as one of the most innovative poets of his era. Yet, like so many of his contemporaries, he fell quickly into obscurity after his death. This volume offers a historical study that enables us not only to gain a deeper insight into Buttet's life, but also to better understand the cultural context in which he composed his verse and the influences shaping his poetry. Above all, we hope to provide a glimpse into the significance of sixteenth-century literary activity in Savoy—an endeavor long ignored and still largely neglected.

Sarah Alyn Stacey, Ph.D. in Literature, is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Trinity College Dublin.

Marc-Claude de Buttet (1529/31-1586) was a friend of the Pléiade, a pupil of Jean Daurat, and a protégé of Marguerite of France, recognized during his lifetime as the premier poet and honor of Savoy. He served as a panegyrist at the French and Savoyard courts and became renowned for his poetry collections Le Premier Livre des odes and L'Amalthée, with his quantitative verse earning him a reputation for innovation during the sixteenth century.

This volume by Sarah Alyn Stacey, a Senior Lecturer and Director at Trinity College Dublin, offers a historical study that enables readers to gain insight into Buttet's life, the cultural context in which he composed his verse, the influences shaping his poetry, and the significance of sixteenth-century literary activity in Savoy. Readers interested in Renaissance poetry and regional literary history may find this work relevant to their studies.