Loÿs Papon


Loÿs Papon was a 16th-century French playwright born in Montbrison in the Forez province.

Short biography

The son of, lieutenant general of the bailiffs of Forez, he was a devout Catholic, a canon at Notre-Dame d'Espérance of Montbrison, then abbot of Marcilly. He animated a small literary circle, sometimes in the Goutelas castle inherited from his father, sometimes at the Château de la Bastie d'Urfé.
We still have a didactic poem from him, Traité des ris, an Epistre à Tres Illustre Princesse Loyse, Reyne de France, and tragedies, in particular La Pastorelle, a politico-religious spectacle which was presented on 27 February 1588 in Montbrison and is considered the first French opera.
He was the model for the druid Adamas in L'Astrée.

Works

La Pastorelle sur les victoires obtenues contre les Allemands, reytres, lansquenets suisses et français, rebelles à Dieu et au roi très chrétien l'an 1588.