Abstract EN:

The "livre des histoires" was originally intended to be an official record of the annual elections of the city's consuls, though from the 15th century on it includes notes and accounts of historical events as well as being embellished with illuminations. Unfortunately it was almost completely destroyed as the result of revolutionary fervour in 1793. The first part of this thesis lists the principal stages of the work's development, identifies the contributors and details the contents. The second part attempts to reconstitute the collection, with an index of the capitouls and officers named therein. In the third part and final part, the "livre des histoires" is considered in the context first of the entire corpus of European historic literacy dating from the period, then of the other exhibits of written records preserved by the municipal chancery in Toulouse. A close study of the contents clearly shows that it was intended as a record of and for the capitouls alone. The thesis closes with a sociological analysis of the "caste" from which the city's capitouls were drawn, demonstrating how unique and original this document was for mediaeval Europe : both a record of the actions taben by past capitouls and a manual for new recruits to the office.