L'Art royal dans le Val-de-Loire

Jacques Feneant : Royal art in the Loire valley. The appearance of Freemasonry in the Loire Valley did not occur early, as the first traces of lodges date from 1744. Then they were rapidly set up in Orléans, Saumur, Tours, Blois and finally Angers, but in the absence of any documents prior to their affiliation to a central Masonic organisation, we can only conjecture as to their origins. After the creation of the Grand Orient, Masonry in the region entered a «golden age », while avoiding excessive Illuminism. In 1789 there were 16 active lodges in 9 towns, not including the chapters of the higher degrees. Their members were merchants, lawyers, government officials, nobles and clerics. They were, however, richer and more aristocratic than the national average. The late 18th-century vogue for Freemasonry shows their desire to meet discreetly and form a miniature ideal society.Feneant Jacques. L'Art royal dans le Val-de-Loire. In: Dix-huitième Siècle, n°19, 1987. La franc-maçonnerie. pp. 165-177