Jacques Cœur

Jacques Cœur (c. 1395 – 25 November 1456 in Chios), was a French merchant, one of the founders of the trade between France and the Levant.

Origins

He was born at Bourges, the city where his father, Pierre Cœur, was a rich merchant. Jacques is first heard of around 1418, when he married Macée de Léodepart, daughter of Lambert de Léodepart, an influential citizen, provost of Bourges and a former valet of John, Duke of Berry.

Early career

About 1429 he formed a commercial partnership with two brothers named Godard; and in 1432 he was at Damascus, buying and bartering, and transporting the wares of the Levant—gall-nuts, wools and silks, mohair, brocades and carpets—to the interior of France by way of Narbonne. In the same year he established himself at Montpellier, and there began the gigantic operations which have made him illustrious among financiers. Details are wanting; but it is certain that in a few years he placed his country in a position to contend fairly well with the great trading republics of Italy, and acquired such a reputation as to be able, mere trader as he was, to render material assistance to the knights of Rhodes and to Venice itself.

Rose

A rose (/ˈroʊz/) is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species and thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing or trailing with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Species, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and often are fragrant. Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach seven meters in height. Different species hybridize easily, and this has been used in the development of the wide range of garden roses.

The name rose comes from French, itself from Latin rosa, which was perhaps borrowed from Oscan, from Greek ρόδον rhódon (Aeolic βρόδον wródon), itself borrowed from Old Persian wrd- (wurdi), related to Avestan varəδa, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr.

Qui de nous deux

Qui de Nous Deux (2003) is an album by French singer-song-writer Matthieu Chedid in his persona as -M-. It is his third full studio album, or the fourth if including the instrumental work Labo M which he had released earlier the same year. The title of the album and its best known track means 'Which of Us Two' reflecting the ongoing contrast between Chedid's real persona and that of his invented character -M-. The album's liner notes explain that the love discussed in that song are for the pink guitar that features on both the album cover and the surreal music video that accompanied the song. The pink guitar had been specially created to celebrate the birth of Chedid's daughter Billie in 2002.

Stylistically the music on this album remains as eclectic as in Chedid's earlier works, albeit with an overall softer edge.

Reception

The album was a major hit in France, entering the French charts at number 1 and spending over 22 months in the French top 100. It was released in 2004 in Canada where Amazon.ca listed it as one of the best albums of 2004.

Le Baptême

Le Baptême may refer to: