Background
French government guidelines provide that citizens of France must be at least thirty years old, respect French civil law, and must have, "significantly contributed to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance."
Members are not, however, limited to French nationals. Recipients have included numerous foreign luminaries.
Foreign recipients are admitted into the Order, "without condition of age."
The Order has three grades:
- Commandeur (commander) — medallion worn on necklet; up to twenty recipients a year.
- Officier (officer) — medallion worn on ribbon with rosette on left breast; up to sixty recipients a year.
- Chevalier (knight) — medallion worn on ribbon on left breast; up to 200 recipients a year.
The médaille of the Order is an eight-point, green-enameled asterisk, in gilt for commanders and officers, in silver for knights; the obverse central disc has the letters "A" and "L" on a white enamelled background, surrounded by a golden ring emblazoned with the phrase "République Française." The reverse central disc features the head of Marianne on a golden background, surrounded by a golden ring bearing the words "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres." The commander's badge is topped by a gilt twisted ring.
The ribbon of the Order is green with four white stripes.
Read more about this topic: Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)