In the Latin countries, since the 18th century, and even more so during the 19th century, Freemasonry has been a sounding board and a vector of new ideas. This is reflected in the idea of Freemasonry that the Masons of these countries have, but also in the image that Masonry has in the general public. One of the challenges of Masonic history is to try to understand why Freemasonry has taken this direction in Latin countries while in Anglo-Saxon areas...