City and its Symbolic Meaning in the Manuscript Chronicles of France in the 15th Century

This article is devoted to the study of the image, semantic meaning and symbolism of the city on the example of manuscript chronicles of the 15th century from the National Library of Russia and European collections. Particular attention is paid to the examination of the urban iconography, the reliability or fiction of city's image, as well as its mention in the texts of the chronicles. The city expressed the idea of the inviolability of royal power. It was thought the center of the Christian religion and culture. Some artists sought to achieve its idealization by visual means, using certain colors and symbols. Others preferred its real depiction. One of the interesting subjects in which the city is of great importance is the legend of the origin of the French from the Trojans, that was described in many chronicles.Despite the fact that the story of the Troy destruction is associated with the arrival of the French and the foundation of Paris, the manuscripts show a difference between these two cities as pagan and Christian centers. The study of these manuscripts showed the importance of cities as political, religious and cultural centers of France, which became part of world history.