About the impact, France had on Armenia

The fourth and last kingdom of Armenia, that of Cilicia, was very close to France as seen by the fifty or so marriages concluded between Franco-Armenian kings and lords.

For a better assessment of the impact France had on Armenia in those days, one need only refer to the fact that since that time Armenians use the term “baron” when greeting each other and which, in Armenian, has taken on the meaning of “Sir” or “Mister.”

The burial place of the Armenian king Levon V

The last king of Armenia, Leo V, ended his days in Paris. Charles VI, whose madness had not yet manifested itself, put the Chateau of Saint Quen at his disposal. He is buried alongside the kings of France.

His tomb, which is still in the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis, is, for many Armenians, an important place of pilgrimage, and, until recently, was each year the object of a requiem mass celebrated according to the Armenian rite by the Bishop of Catholic Armenians of France.

Mano Chil