France is one of the oldest and most well-known countries in the world. France is located in modern-day Western Europe and is very important to both magic and muggle society. France is known for many things in the muggle world, but it is best known for its governments and schools in the magical world.

To begin with a little bit of history, we will start in the 1500s. King Henry IV radically changed France. King Henry IV was raised Protestant, though most in France were Catholics. Because King Henry did not agree to change religion, religious wars began in France. The war was going on before King Henry became the king of France, but he joined the war in 1589 which led to an escalation. After many decades of war, in 1598, King Henry IV converted to Catholicism and passed the Edict of Nantes—which guaranteed religious freedoms in France. After King Henry IV was assassinated in 1610, French kings grew in power. Louis XIV ruled from 1643-1715 and made the ruler of France an almost absolute monarch. Louis XIV was hated by many, as he raised many taxes and strengthened the central government. This all eventually led to the France we know today.

Now that we have been through a small drop of history, we shall move into the magical side of France. First, we will discuss the French government, which is the French Ministry of Magic. It was founded in 1790 and has always been the magical governing body in France. Some special things about the French Ministry of Magic include that no wizards or witches can apparate within the building. Another interesting thing is the Visitor's Entrance, which is the way others enter the Ministry. One would walk to an area and coughed and entered an elevator which took them to the ground.

Another thing to discuss about the French Ministry of Magic is the way the Ministry was run. The French Ministry of Magic was structured with a bureau. A bureau is a way in which the Ministry is split into departments. Some of these include the branches of, as translated from French, magical communications, judicial issues, aurors, catastrophes and incidents, foreign affairs, and more. These branches are very similar to the areas of the British Ministry of Magic.

Next, we shall discuss the wizarding school of France: Beauxbatons. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is one of the three largest wizarding schools in Europe. This school was founded somewhere in the 1290s and has since thrived in the magical community. Many famous witches and wizards have gone there, most notably Nicholas Flamel. The palace was built on beautiful grounds that housed many stunning magical gardens and beautiful non-melting ice sculptures in the hall at Christmas. The school also contains its own Quidditch pitch. Historically, Beauxbatons is a very competitive school and competes in Quidditch, Wizards Chess, Duelling, and more with others within the school.

Well, that is all for France this month. Though France is not mentioned in the course, many other countries around the world are discussed from a magical viewpoint in the Ancient Studies course. It begins in year 4, but you can take it earlier, and I suggest it! Next month we shall move into Scotland, which will be an interesting discussion.

Written by: Michael Isserles
Edited by: Marietta Oizys
Proofread by: Connor Callahan