Household and Estate Management in the Seventeenth Century: Problems and Perspectives (original) (raw)

The paper explores household and estate management in the seventeenth century, focusing on the writings of Jacques de Serres and François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon. It examines how Serres's 'Theatre d'agriculture' serves as a guide for landowners on efficient estate management and lays out the qualities necessary for successful farming and household stability. Fénelon's 'De l'éducation des filles' provides a contrasting perspective, emphasizing the role of women in estate management while critiquing the emerging polite society of the time. Through an analysis of these texts, the paper highlights the social, economic, and gender dynamics of estate management and its broader implications for understanding seventeenth-century French society.