It was written down.

We can read it.

That is the chain of transmission that connects the historical woman to the present.

The Heptaméron And Its Place In History

The Heptaméron is one of the most significant works of French Renaissance literature, and its preservation of Marguerite de la Rocque’s story gives it a documentary importance that goes beyond its literary value.

Marguerite de Navarre — who should not be confused with Marguerite de la Rocque despite the shared name — was one of the most powerful and culturally significant women in sixteenth-century Europe.

As the sister of King François I, she had influence at the French court that was unusual for any person, male or female, who was not the monarch.