Among linear measures, for example, the aune, lieue, perche, pied, and toise were of
paramount importance. The aune, a textile measure, was 3 pieds, 7 pouces, lignes, or
lignes (1.188 meters) in all. For road and sea measurements, the lieue had six official
standards ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 toises (3,898.08 to 5,847.12 meters). The perche
employed in agriculture was either 18, 20, or 22 pieds (5.847, 6.497, or 7.146 meters).
The pied was 12 pouces (0.325 meters) or 144 lignes, while the toise was 6 pieds (1.949
meters).
For area measurement, the arpent de Paris was 32,400 square pieds (34.189 ares); the
arpent de commun, 40,000 square pieds (42.208 ares); and the arpent des eaux et forêts,
48,400 square pieds (51.072 ares). All were 100 square perches, but the length of the
perche was different in each standard.
In capacity measurement, the boisseau, mine, muid, and setier dominated. The
boisseau contained 655.78 cubic pouces (13.008 liters), but had different subdivisions for
wheat, oats, charcoal, and plaster. The mine totaled 3,934.68 cubic pouces (78.05 liters)
for all dry products except salt, oats, and coal. The muid had six recognized standards for
liquids and dry products. The setier was 4 quartes (7.45 liters) for most liquids and two
mines (156.10 liters) for most dry products.
The livre was the principal unit of weight. During the late 8th century under
Charlemagne, the livre esterlin was fixed at 5,760 grains (367.1 grams) and consisted of
20 sous, 12 onces, 240 deniers, 480 oboles. This livre was the first national standard; it
was retained until the middle of the 14th century, when the government of King John II
the Good authorized the employment of a new, heavier, livre called the livre poids de
marc. Totaling 9,216 grains (489.506 grams), it was subdivided for valuable goods, such
as gold and silver, into 2 marks or 16 onces and for cheaper goods into 2 demi-livres or
16 onces. There were other official livres for pharmacists, physicians, and merchants.
Further diversification and proliferation of these weights and measures continued after
1500, especially in the wake of increasing industrialization. Prior to the late 18th century,
significant progress in French metrology took place only in the manufacture of physical
standards. The French Revolution and its radically new metric system replaced these
weights and measures by the early 19th century.
Ronald Edward Zupko
Guilhiermoz, Paul. “Note sur les poids du moyen âge.” Biblio-thèque de l’École des Chartes
67(1906):161–233, 402–50.
——. “Remarques diverses sur les poids et mesures du moyen âge.” Bibliothèque de l’École des
Chartes 80(1919):5–100.
Zupko, Ronald E. French Weights and Measures Before the Revolution: A Dictionary of Provincial
and Local Units. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978.
——. Revolution in Measurement: Western European Weights and Measures Since the Age of
Science. Philadelphia: Ameri-can Philosophical Society, 1989.
Medieval france: an encyclopedia 1842