Page "Salon (gathering)" Paragraph 3

One important place for the exchange of ideas was the salon.

The word salon first appeared in France in 1664 ( from the Italian word salone, itself from sala, the large reception hall of Italian mansions ).

Literary gatherings before this were often referred to by using the name of the room in which they occurred, like cabinet, réduit, ruelle and alcôve.

Before the end of the 17th century, these gatherings were frequently held in the bedroom ( treated as a more private form of drawing room ): a lady, reclining on her bed, would receive close friends who would sit on chairs or stools drawn around.

This practice may be contrasted with the greater formalities of Louis XIV's petit lever, where all stood.

Ruelle, literally meaning " narrow street " or " lane ", designates the space between a bed and the wall in a bedroom ; it was used commonly to designate the gatherings of the " précieuses ", the intellectual and literary circles that formed around women in the first half of the 17th century.

The first renowned salon in France was the Hôtel de Rambouillet not far from the Palais du Louvre in Paris, which its hostess, Roman-born Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet ( 1588 – 1665 ), ran from 1607 until her death.

She established the rules of etiquette of the salon which resembled the earlier codes of Italian chivalry.