François de Bassompierre
Encyclopedia
François de Bassompierre (April 12, 1579 – October 12, 1646) was a French
courtier
.
The son of Christophe de Bassompierre (1547–1596), he was born at the castle of Haroué
in Lorraine. He was descended from an old family which had for generations served the dukes of Burgundy and Lorraine, and after being educated with his brothers in Bavaria
and Italy
, was introduced to the court of King Henry IV of France
in 1598. He became a great favourite
of the king and shared to the full in the dissipations of court life. In 1600, he took part in the brief campaign in Savoy
, and in 1603 fought in Hungary
against the Turks
for emperor Rudolf II
.
In 1614, he assisted Marie de' Medici
, now queen mother, in her struggle against the nobles, but upon her failure in 1617 remained loyal to the young king Louis XIII
and assisted the royalists when they routed Marie's supporters at Les Ponts-de-Cé
in 1620. His services during the Huguenot
rising of 1621-1622 won for him the dignity of marshal of France
. He was with the army of the king during the siege of La Rochelle
in 1628, and in 1629 distinguished himself in the campaign against the Huguenot
rebels of Languedoc
, especially at the Siege of Privas
. In 1615 Bassompierre had purchased from Henri, duc de Rohan
, the coveted position of colonelgeneral of the Swiss and Grisons; on this account he was sent to raise troops in Switzerland
when Louis XIII marched against Savoy in 1629, and after a short campaign in Italy his military career ended.
As a diplomat, his career was a failure. In 1621, he went to Madrid
as envoy extraordinary to arrange the dispute concerning the seizure of the Valtelline forts by Spain, and signed the fruitless Treaty of Madrid
. In 1625, he was sent into Switzerland on an equally futile mission, and in 1626 to London to secure the retention of the Catholic ecclesiastics and attendants of Henrietta Maria
, wife of King Charles I of England
. The personal influence of Henry IV had deterred Bassompierre from a marriage with Charlotte de Montmorency, daughter of the constable Montmorency
, afterwards princesse de Condé, and between 1614 and 1630 he was secretly married to Louise Marguerite, widow of François, prince de Conti, and through her became implicated in the plot to overthrow Richelieu on the "Day of the Dupes
" (1630). His share was only a slight one, but his wife was an intimate friend of Marie de' Medici, and her hostility to the cardinal aroused his suspicions. By Richelieu
's orders, Bassompierre was arrested at Senlis
on February 25, 1631, and put into the Bastille
, where he remained until Richelieu's death in 1643.
On his release his offices were restored to him, and he passed most of his time at the castle of Tillières
in Normandy
, until his death. He left a son, François de la Tour, by the princesse de Conti (Louise Marguerite de Lorraine
), and an illegitimate son, Louis de Bassompierre, afterwards Bishop of Saintes.
His Mémoires, which are an important source for the history of his time, were first published at Cologne in 1665. He also left an incomplete account of his embassies to Spain
, Switzerland
and England
(Cologne, 1668) and a number of discourses upon various subjects.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
.
The son of Christophe de Bassompierre (1547–1596), he was born at the castle of Haroué
Haroué
Haroué is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-Historical Features:The Château de Haroué was constructed between 1720 and 1732 by Germain Boffrand for Prince Marc de Beauvau, Viceroy of Tuscany. The architect had to integrate into his plans the four towers and the...
in Lorraine. He was descended from an old family which had for generations served the dukes of Burgundy and Lorraine, and after being educated with his brothers in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and 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...
, was introduced to the court of King Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
in 1598. He became a great favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
of the king and shared to the full in the dissipations of court life. In 1600, he took part in the brief campaign in Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, and in 1603 fought in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
against the Turks
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
for emperor Rudolf II
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
.
In 1614, he assisted Marie de' Medici
Marie de' Medici
Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici...
, now queen mother, in her struggle against the nobles, but upon her failure in 1617 remained loyal to the young king Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
and assisted the royalists when they routed Marie's supporters at Les Ponts-de-Cé
Les Ponts-de-Cé
Les Ponts-de-Cé is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.Les Ponts-de-Cé is in the suburbs of Angers.-History:In September 1432, during the Hundred Years' War, the routiers of Rodrigo de Villandrando, in the pay of Georges de la Trémoille, held Les Ponts-de-Cé against the...
in 1620. His services during 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...
rising of 1621-1622 won for him the dignity of 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...
. He was with the army of the king during the siege of La Rochelle
Siege of La Rochelle
The Siege of La Rochelle was a result of a war between the French royal forces of Louis XIII of France and the Huguenots of La Rochelle in 1627-1628...
in 1628, and in 1629 distinguished himself in the campaign against 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...
rebels of Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, especially at the Siege of Privas
Siege of Privas
The Siege of Privas was undertaken by Louis XIII of France from 14 May 1629, and the city of Privas was captured on 28 May 1629. It was one of the last events of the Huguenot rebellions .-Context:...
. In 1615 Bassompierre had purchased from Henri, duc de Rohan
Henri, duc de Rohan
Henri de Rohan, Viscount then Duke of Rohan , later duke of Rohan, French soldier, writer and leader of the Huguenots, was born at the Château de Blain , in Brittany....
, the coveted position of colonelgeneral of the Swiss and Grisons; on this account he was sent to raise troops in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
when Louis XIII marched against Savoy in 1629, and after a short campaign in Italy his military career ended.
As a diplomat, his career was a failure. In 1621, he went to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
as envoy extraordinary to arrange the dispute concerning the seizure of the Valtelline forts by Spain, and signed the fruitless Treaty of Madrid
Treaty of Madrid (1621)
The Treaty of Madrid was signed on April 26, 1621 by French courtier, François de Bassompierre. Based on the terms of the treaty, the Valtelline was restored to the Grisons and the Spanish were allowed to reoccupy Chiavenna. Moreover, the accord guaranteed religious amnesty to the Protestants in...
. In 1625, he was sent into Switzerland on an equally futile mission, and in 1626 to London to secure the retention of the Catholic ecclesiastics and attendants of Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria of France
Henrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
, wife of King Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. The personal influence of Henry IV had deterred Bassompierre from a marriage with Charlotte de Montmorency, daughter of the constable Montmorency
Henri Ier de Montmorency
Henri I de Montmorency , Marshal of France, and Constable of France, seigneur of Damville, served as governor of Languedoc from 1563 to 1614. He became Duke of Montmorency on his brother's death in 1579....
, afterwards princesse de Condé, and between 1614 and 1630 he was secretly married to Louise Marguerite, widow of François, prince de Conti, and through her became implicated in the plot to overthrow Richelieu on the "Day of the Dupes
Day of the Dupes
Day of the Dupes is the name given to the day in November of 1630 on which the enemies of Cardinal Richelieu mistakenly believed that they had succeeded in persuading Louis XIII, King of France, to dismiss Richelieu from power...
" (1630). His share was only a slight one, but his wife was an intimate friend of Marie de' Medici, and her hostility to the cardinal aroused his suspicions. By Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu et de Fronsac was a French clergyman, noble, and statesman.Consecrated as a bishop in 1608, he later entered politics, becoming a Secretary of State in 1616. Richelieu soon rose in both the Catholic Church and the French government, becoming a...
's orders, Bassompierre was arrested at Senlis
Senlis, Oise
Senlis is a French commune located in the Oise department near Paris. It has a long and rich heritage, having traversed centuries of history. This medieval town has welcomed some of the most renowned figures in French history, including Hugh Capet, Louis IX, the Marshall of France, Anne of Kiev and...
on February 25, 1631, and put into the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
, where he remained until Richelieu's death in 1643.
On his release his offices were restored to him, and he passed most of his time at the castle of Tillières
Tillières
Tillières is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, until his death. He left a son, François de la Tour, by the princesse de Conti (Louise Marguerite de Lorraine
Louise Marguerite de Lorraine
Louise Marguerite of Lorraine was a daughter of the Duke of Guise and a member of the House of Lorraine. She married François de Bourbon, titled the Prince of Conti. As such, after her marriage she was the Princess of Conti...
), and an illegitimate son, Louis de Bassompierre, afterwards Bishop of Saintes.
His Mémoires, which are an important source for the history of his time, were first published at Cologne in 1665. He also left an incomplete account of his embassies to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Cologne, 1668) and a number of discourses upon various subjects.