From convergence towards the royal buildings to the diaspora in the kingdom: A case study on the circulation of Italian artists between the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century

In order to deepen the knowledge of artist networks and cultural transfers that linked France and Italy from the late 16th to the early 17th century, this article proposes a case study that does not emphasize on a major character, but on lesser-known figures. The author analyses the activities and the career of four artists of Italian origin: the sculptor Francesco Bordoni (1574-1654), the engineers Tommaso (1570-1651) and Alessandro Francini (1574-1648), and the fontainier Horace Ferray (before 1585-after 1649), which first converge on the site of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, at the time of Henri IV, before moving then throughout the kingdom. The article presents the historical reasons, which push these men to leave Italy for Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the characteristics of their journeys. Then it focuses on the links that are established between them on the royal shipyard, and their insertion into the teams of the artists of the sovereign of France and Navarre. Finally, the dispersion of these artists of the king in the kingdom, and their business in Italy.