Albert de Gondi
Encyclopedia
Albert de Gondi seigneur du Perron, comte, then marquis de Belle-Isle (1573), duc de Retz
(from 1581), was a marshal of France
and a member of the Gondi family
. His father was Guidobaldo, seigneur de Perron, who became a banker at Lyon, and his mother was Marie-Catherine de Pierrevive - his siblings included cardinal Pierre de Gondi
. His motto was Non sine labore.
on his accession in 1547 and around 1550 joined a company of chevau-légers
. On 13 August 1554 he served at the battle of Renty
and soon afterwards Henry II soon made him a gentleman of the chamber
and master of the wardrobe to Charles of France
. He continued to occupy these posts under Charles X and Henry III
.
In 1555, he won a great reputation in Italy
, at the sieges of Ulpiau and Coni and the taking of Verceil. He also served with great distinction in the expeditions into Piedmont
and Corsica
. On 10 August 1557 he participated in the Battle of Saint-Quentin and on 13 July 1558 at the battle of Gravelines
. He was in 1559 made captain of a company of gendarmes
and fought at their head at the battle of Saint-Denis
on 10 November 1567, at Jarnac
on 13 March 1569 and at Moncontour
on the following 3 October.
He was chosen to carry news of victory at Moncontour to the king and was the same month made captain of 50 men at arms. Knighted on the king's orders, he won a place as conseiller d’État. He was then employed as French ambassador to the Imperial
court at Vienna
and on 22 October 1570 was the French king's proxy at his marriage to Elizabeth of Austria. On the death of marshal Vieilleville
, the comte de Retz was made governor and lieutenant-general in the pays messin, and governor of the town of Metz, by provisions granted at Duretal on 30 November 1571. He was then made captain of the first company of gentlemen of the king's household
after the death of the duc de Roannois in December the same year.
In 1572 he was one of the advisors in council with Catherine de' Medici
at the Tuileries on the evening of August 22, the night before the ordering of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
; he and other Italian advisors were afterwards given much of the blame for the massacres by the Huguenot
s: "All the contemporary chronicles (save one which he is suspected of authoring) incriminate him in the St Bartholomew's massacres". At the end of 1572 he was charged with a mission to Elizabeth I of England
, successfully persuading her not to give aid to French Protestants. At the beginning of 1573, coming back from London
, the comte de Retz commanded a squadron and forced count Montgomery to abandon Belle-Isle
. The French king raised this town to a marquisate and granted it to the count of Retz, who then set out for the 1573 Siege of La Rochelle
, where he was wounded.
A vacancy for a marshal of France
came about due to the death of the maréchal de Tavanes, and this was granted to the comte de Retz by provisions given at the château de Boulogne on 6 July 1573 and registered by the constable on 2 August the following year. He then became governor of Provence, by provisions given in the same place and on the same day, 6 July 1573 : these were registered at the parliament of Provence, 22 August 1574.
Maréchal de Retz then left his governorship at Metz. He accompanied Henri III
, duc d’Anjou to Poland, returned to France with him and represented the constable at this prince's consecration, on which occasion he was also admitted to this prince's privy council. He dismissed his company of 100 gentlemen in the month of January 1575 and was made commander in chief of the army in Provence, forcing the towns and castles rebelling against Henry to submit to him and placing the town of Menerbes
back under obedience to the pope.
, baroness of Retz
and of Dampierre
, daughter of Claude de Clermont-Tonnerre, baron de Dampierre (+1545), with whom he had 10 children:
Retz
Retz is a town with a population of 4,168 in the district of Hollabrunn in Lower Austria, Austria.- Geography :Retz is located in the north western Weinviertel in Lower Austria. The municipality's area covers 45,01 km². 11.83 percent of this area is forested...
(from 1581), was a marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
and a member of the Gondi family
Gondi bank
The Florentine banking family of the Gondi were prominent financial partners of the Medici. Unlike the Medici, they were of the old Florentione nobility, tracing their line traditionally from the legendary Philippi, said to have been ennobled by Charlemagne himself, in 805; from him the Strozzi...
. His father was Guidobaldo, seigneur de Perron, who became a banker at Lyon, and his mother was Marie-Catherine de Pierrevive - his siblings included cardinal Pierre de Gondi
Pierre de Gondi
Pierre de Gondi, cardinal de Retz was a French bishop and cardinal of the Gondi family.-Life:Born in Lyon, he was a brother of Albert de Gondi and a protégé of Catherine de Médicis...
. His motto was Non sine labore.
Life
He joined the court of Henry II of FranceHenry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
on his accession in 1547 and around 1550 joined a company of chevau-légers
Chevau-légers
The Chevau-légers was a generic French name for several units of light cavalry, roughly similar to lancers in the armies of other states during the Napoleonic Wars. Perhaps the most famous of all such units were the Polish 1st Light Cavalry Regiment of the Guards and the French 2nd Light Cavalry...
. On 13 August 1554 he served at the battle of Renty
Battle of Renty
The Battle of Renty was fought on August 12, 1554, between France and the Holy Roman Empire at Renty, a northern French secondary theatre of the Italian Wars. The French were led by Francis, Duke of Guise, while the Imperial forces were led by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg.On August 8, the French...
and soon afterwards Henry II soon made him a gentleman of the chamber
Valet de chambre
Valet de chambre , or varlet de chambre, was a court appointment introduced in the late Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards. Royal Households had many persons appointed at any time...
and master of the wardrobe to Charles of France
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
. He continued to occupy these posts under Charles X and Henry III
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
.
In 1555, he won a great reputation in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, at the sieges of Ulpiau and Coni and the taking of Verceil. He also served with great distinction in the expeditions into Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
and Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. On 10 August 1557 he participated in the Battle of Saint-Quentin and on 13 July 1558 at the battle of Gravelines
Battle of Gravelines
The Battle of Gravelines is the name given to two battles:*The Battle of Gravelines , in which Spain defeated France in 1558*The Naval battle of Gravelines, in 1588, which saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English...
. He was in 1559 made captain of a company of gendarmes
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
and fought at their head at the battle of Saint-Denis
Battle of Saint-Denis
Battle of Saint-Denis may refer to:*Battle of Saint-Denis , France *Battle of Saint-Denis , Belgium *Battle of Saint-Denis , Canada...
on 10 November 1567, at Jarnac
Battle of Jarnac
The Battle of Jarnac on 13 March 1569 was an encounter during the French Wars of Religion between the Catholic forces of Marshal Gaspard de Saulx, sieur de Tavannes, and the Huguenots, near the nadir of their fortunes, financed by Reinhold von Krockow and led by Louis I de Bourbon, prince de...
on 13 March 1569 and at Moncontour
Battle of Moncontour
The Battle of Moncontour occurred on 3 October 1569 between the Catholic forces of King Charles IX of France and the Huguenots during the "Third War" of the French Wars of Religion.-The battle:...
on the following 3 October.
He was chosen to carry news of victory at Moncontour to the king and was the same month made captain of 50 men at arms. Knighted on the king's orders, he won a place as conseiller d’État. He was then employed as French ambassador to the Imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
court at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and on 22 October 1570 was the French king's proxy at his marriage to Elizabeth of Austria. On the death of marshal Vieilleville
François de Scépeaux
François de Scépeaux de Vieille-Ville , lord of Vieilleville, 1st comte of Durtal, was a French governor, diplomat, ambassador, conseillé du roi and marshal under king Francis I of France. He was also a prominent figure in the French Wars of Religion between the Protestant Huguenots and the...
, the comte de Retz was made governor and lieutenant-general in the pays messin, and governor of the town of Metz, by provisions granted at Duretal on 30 November 1571. He was then made captain of the first company of gentlemen of the king's household
Maison du Roi
The Maison du Roi was the name of the military, domestic and religious entourage around the royal family in France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration; the exact composition and duties of its various divisions changed constantly over the Early Modern period...
after the death of the duc de Roannois in December the same year.
In 1572 he was one of the advisors in council with Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
at the Tuileries on the evening of August 22, the night before the ordering of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
; he and other Italian advisors were afterwards given much of the blame for the massacres by the Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s: "All the contemporary chronicles (save one which he is suspected of authoring) incriminate him in the St Bartholomew's massacres". At the end of 1572 he was charged with a mission to Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, successfully persuading her not to give aid to French Protestants. At the beginning of 1573, coming back from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the comte de Retz commanded a squadron and forced count Montgomery to abandon Belle-Isle
Belle-Isle-en-Terre
Belle-Isle-en-Terre is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Belle-Isle-en-Terre are called in French Bellilois.-Breton language:...
. The French king raised this town to a marquisate and granted it to the count of Retz, who then set out for the 1573 Siege of La Rochelle
Siege of La Rochelle (1572-1573)
The Siege of La Rochelle of 1572–1573 was a massive military assault on the Huguenot-held city of La Rochelle by Catholic troops during the fourth phase of the French Wars of Religion, following the August 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The conflict began in November 1572 when inhabitants of...
, where he was wounded.
A vacancy for a marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
came about due to the death of the maréchal de Tavanes, and this was granted to the comte de Retz by provisions given at the château de Boulogne on 6 July 1573 and registered by the constable on 2 August the following year. He then became governor of Provence, by provisions given in the same place and on the same day, 6 July 1573 : these were registered at the parliament of Provence, 22 August 1574.
Maréchal de Retz then left his governorship at Metz. He accompanied Henri III
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
, duc d’Anjou to Poland, returned to France with him and represented the constable at this prince's consecration, on which occasion he was also admitted to this prince's privy council. He dismissed his company of 100 gentlemen in the month of January 1575 and was made commander in chief of the army in Provence, forcing the towns and castles rebelling against Henry to submit to him and placing the town of Menerbes
Ménerbes
Ménerbes is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France, a walled village on a hilltop in the Luberon mountains, footbills of the French Alps....
back under obedience to the pope.
Marriage and issue
On 4 September 1565, he became the second husband of Claude Catherine de Clermont-TonnerreClaude Catherine de Clermont
Claude Catherine de Clermont-Tonnerre de Vivonne , lady of Dampierre, countess and duchess of Retz, was a French noblewoman and salon host.-Life:...
, baroness of Retz
Pays de Retz
The Pays de Retz is a historical region of France that currently forms part of the Loire-Atlantique department, but which previously formed part of the Duchy of Brittany....
and of Dampierre
Dampierre
Dampierre is the name of several communes in France:*Dampierre, Aube, in the Aube département*Dampierre, Calvados, in the Calvados département*Dampierre, Haute-Marne, in the Haute-Marne département*Dampierre, Jura, in the Jura département...
, daughter of Claude de Clermont-Tonnerre, baron de Dampierre (+1545), with whom he had 10 children:
- Charles (1569-1596), marquis de Belle-Isle, général des Galères de France, whose descendents end with the women of the 18th century ;
- Claude-Marguerite (1570-1650), who married Florimond, marquis de Piennes (+1592) ;
- Françoise (+1627), who married Lancelot Grognet de Vassé ;
- Gabrielle who married Claude de Bossut, seigneur d'Escry ;
- Hyppolite (+1646) who married Léonor de Magdelaine marquis de Ragny ;
- Henri de Gondi, cardinal de Retz (1572-1622), bishop of Paris.
- Louise (1572-1661), nun ;
- Madelaine (+1662), nun ;
- Philippe-Emmanuel (1581-1626), comte de Joigny, marquis de Belle-Isle, baron de Montmirel, général des Galères de France, who married Françoise de Silly (+1625), dame de Commercy, daughter of Antoine, comte de La Rochepot, whose descendents end with the 18th century women.
- Jean-François de Gondi, cardinal de RetzJean-François de GondiJean-François de Gondi was the first archbishop of Paris, from 1622 to 1654.He was the son of Albert de Gondi and Claude Catherine de Clermont. He was a member of the Gondi family, which had held the bishopric of Paris for nearly a century, and would continue to do so after him. Jean-François...
(1584-1654), first archbishop of ParisArchbishop of ParisThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris is one of twenty-three archdioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The original diocese is traditionally thought to have been created in the 3rd century by St. Denis and corresponded with the Civitas Parisiorum; it was elevated to an archdiocese on...
.