PixieDustPapillons.com
Title
Papillons Phalenes papillon dogs papillon puppies phalene dogs, phalene puppies
Description
Everyone knows that Marie Antoinette was beheaded. Not many know that she actually walked to the guillotine clutching her small dog under her arm.
Marie's leadership style was certainly problematic. However, her choice in dogs was excellent, a small spaniel that had been brought to the French court from Spain on the back of pack mules. This was not a breed that would have considered walking over the Pyrenees under its own power. It was a perfect match for life with the aristocracy though. In Marie's case, her days of pet ownership were over. However, her pup was spared and cared for in a building in Paris still called the Papillon House.
When I read this story, it stimulated an unprecedented (and fleeting) interest in history. In a quick scan of literature about Papillons, I read that Marie's small spaniel descended from a very old breed that started showing up in church frescos and paintings as far back as the 13th century. On a subsequent trip to Europe, I noticed a number of 16th century paintings that included small droop eared dogs, clearly ancestors of the Papillon, curled up on the laps and at the feet of aristocratic women. I also recognized the artists' license in these paintings since even the ancestor of the Papillon would never lie on a cold castle floor.
Languages
English
Contact
- carole bixler
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