French architecture of the early modern period is characterized
by three main tendencies: the survival of Gothic technology
and form, the influence of Italian and ancient models of
classicism, and the effort to form a strong
French architectural language. Political and social overtones varied
in the Renaissance, with ancient and Italian classical influences gradually merging with a lively
Late Gothic tradition to express cultivation and splendor.
In the seventeenth century, French kings elaborated
universal principles and state institutions to express their political and cultural ambitions.
Finally, in the eighteenth century, architecture itself was redefined as an
instrument of social change.
