| Item Description: | Antonello Privitera (Bibliopathos) description: L4to, limp vellum binding from an ancient document in French language containing some small drawings of horse and soldiers. The historic role of the Saumur School of Cavalry was to provide training for the officers and non-commissioned officers of the French cavalry. The style of equitation characteristic of the school was first taught by François Robichon de La Guérinière, the French riding master to King Louis XV and author of the manual École de Cavalerie published in 1731. The town was an equestrian centre with both the military cavalry school from 1783 and later and later the Cadre Noir based there. The Cadre Noir («Black Cadre»ı) is a corps of ecuyers, or instructors, at the French military riding academy École Nationale d'Équitation at Saumur in western France, founded in 1828. It also performs as an equestrian display team. Its name comes from the black uniforms that are still in use today. It is one of the “Big Four”, the most prestigious classical riding academies in the world. PROVENANCE: The manuscript was made as a gift for a not identified count of Montaigu, who was —as declared at title-page— Lieutenant of the Cuirassiers of the Queen of France. The Counts of Montaigu were 12th century nobles of Lower Lotharingia who were closely associated with the Counts of Duras and Clermont. Montaigu (Mons Acutus i.e. «sharp mount») was a castle located on the river Ourthe, opposite Marcourt near La Roche in the Ardennes. The castle of Montaigu has been mostly destroyed, but a chapel dedicated to Saint Thibaut still resides the mountain on which it was built. |
|---|