An art of urban governance. Diffusing and dissembling information in Lyon (1560’s–1570’s)

The notion of secrecy is given crucial importance in the 16th century. This concept entails all the methods employed by urban authorities to manage official news in order to control the city. As the urban elites consider information to be their property, its diffusion consists in a rather intricate process. Indeed, in order to rule properly, the authorities need to make a proportionate use of both dissimulation and publicity. This tension leads to the emergence of an art of governance that relies on the handling of secrecy, at a theoretical as well as a practical level.