Calibres de France

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Coulevrines moyennes ("Middle culverins"), French work at the time of Francis I, 1520, caliber: 82mm and 77mm, length: 295cm, weight 617kg, ammunition: 1.5kg iron ball.

The Calibres de France ("French calibers") was a system of standardization of cannons in France, established by King Francis I of France from about 1525.[1] The objective was to simplify and codify cannonry, in order to facilitate production.[1] On 26 September 1526, Francis I wrote about the artillerye de mon calibre ("Artillery of my caliber"), and an even earlier mention is known from 1512.[1] The Calibres de France were formalized in an ordinance of 1552.[2]

A Fauconneau, which was to become the smallest of the Calibres de France. Bronze, French manufacture, 1510. Caliber: 32mm, length: 106cm, weight: 25kg, ammunition: iron ball.

Six standard sizes were defined: the cannon (Canon), the "grand" culverin (Grande couleuvrine), the "bastard" culverin (Couleuvrine bâtarde), the "middle" culverin (Couleuvrine moyenne), the Falconet (Faucon), and the falconeer (Fauconneau).[1]

The system was expanded by an ordinance dated 27 November 1572, and an edict dates December 1601.[1]

The 6-guns Calibres de France system was still in place at the time of Louis XIII, which was later developed to an 18-guns system.[3]

The system was phased out with the Keller system in 1666, and the De Vallière system on 7 October 1732.[3]

Other models

  • "Grande couleuvrine" of Francis I, caliber: 140mm, length: 307 cm, recovered in Algiers in 1830.

  • "Grande couleuvrine" of Francis I with Salamander emblem and inscription in Arabic, Siege of Rhodes (1522).

  • "Couleuvrine bâtarde" of 1548, with arms of Henri II and Catherine de Medicis and crescent of Diane. Caliber: 85mm, length: 300 cm, weight: 1076 kg.

  • Bronze culverin of Francis I.

  • Grand culverin of the Knights Hospitallers, 1500-1510, Rhodes. French work, caliber: 165 mm, length: 540 cm, weight: 3,343 kg, ammunition: 15 kg iron ball. Arms of Grand Master Emery d'Amboise. Given by Abdülaziz to Napoleon III in 1862.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 La Grande Maîtresse, nef de François Ier: recherches et documents d'archives by Max Guérout p.231
  2. ↑ L'histoire mémorable du siège et de la famine de Sancerre (1573) by Jean de Léry, Géralde Nakam p.70
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dictionnaire Des Institutions De La France Aux Dix-Septieme Et Dix-Huitieme Siècles by Marcel Marion p.26
Artillery of France
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