Girolama Mazzarini
Encyclopedia
Girolama or Geronima Mazzarini (1608 or 1614 –29 December 1656) was the sister of Cardinal Mazarin, the chief minister of France
at the start of the reign of King Louis XIV of France
. She was the mother of the five famous Mancini sisters, who with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, became famous at the French court as the Mazarinettes
.
, Geronima was the daughter of Pietro Mazzarini
and Ortensia Bufalini. Her father struggled to provide for his six children until joining the staff of the great Constable of Naples and prince of Paliano, Filippo I Colonna
. Thanks to his skill, he won over Colonna, and benefited from the prince's protection of each of his children.
, (1602–1650), the son of Paolo Lucio Mancini and Vittoria Capoccii, on August 6, 1634. Her husband was known as a necromancer
and astrologer
.
They had ten children:
in the hope of using the influence of her brother, Cardinal Mazarin, to gain them advantageous marriages, a goal that ultimately was very successful.
She died in Paris in 1656.
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...
at the start of the reign of King Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. She was the mother of the five famous Mancini sisters, who with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, became famous at the French court as the Mazarinettes
Mazarinettes
The Mazarinettes were the seven nieces of Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the Chief Minister of France during the youth of King Louis XIV. He brought them, together with three of his nephews, from Italy to France in the years 1647 and 1653. Afterwards, he arranged advantageous marriages for them to...
.
Early life
Born in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Geronima was the daughter of Pietro Mazzarini
Pietro Mazzarini
Pietro Mazzarini was an Italian courtier and the father of Cardinal Jules Mazarin.Mazzarini's father, Giulio Mazzarini, was a Sicilian craftsman who was successful enough to educate his sons. Mazzarini excelled in school and became a notary...
and Ortensia Bufalini. Her father struggled to provide for his six children until joining the staff of the great Constable of Naples and prince of Paliano, Filippo I Colonna
Filippo I Colonna
Filippo Colonna , Prince of Paliano, was an Italian nobleman, who was the head of the Colonna family of Rome and the hereditary Gran Connestabile at the court of Naples.-Biography:He was born at Rome...
. Thanks to his skill, he won over Colonna, and benefited from the prince's protection of each of his children.
Family and issue
Geronima married an Italian aristocrat, Baron Lorenzo ManciniMancini family
Mancini was one of the oldest families of Roman nobility. Their titles and fiefs were numerous: Duke of Nevers and Donzy, Prince of Vergagne and of the Holy Roman Empire with the treatment of Serene Highness, French Peer, Spanish Grandee, Marquis of Fusignano, Count of Montefortino, Viscount of...
, (1602–1650), the son of Paolo Lucio Mancini and Vittoria Capoccii, on August 6, 1634. Her husband was known as a necromancer
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
and astrologer
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
.
They had ten children:
- Laura ManciniLaura ManciniLaura Mancini, duchess of Mercœur and Vendôme was a niece of Cardinal Mazarin. She was the eldest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of King Louis XIV of France as the Mazarinettes...
(1636–1657), who married Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme and became the mother of the famous French general Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, - Paul Jules Mancini (born 1636, died 1652 or 1654 in battle)
- Olympia Mancini (1638–1708), who married Eugene Maurice, Count of Soissons and became the mother of the famous Austrian general Prince Eugene of SavoyPrince Eugene of SavoyPrince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
, - Marie ManciniMarie ManciniAnna Maria Mancini was the third of the five Mancini sisters; nieces to Cardinal Mazarin who were brought to France to marry advantageously...
(1639–1715), who married Lorenzo Colonna and was the first romantic love of King Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, - Philippe Mancini (1641–1707), nominated Duke of Nevers and Donzy by his uncle, Cardinal Mazarin, with the prerogative to strike coins, in 1660. He was a knight of the Order of the Holy SpiritOrder of the Holy SpiritThe Order of the Holy Spirit, also known as the Order of the Knights of the Holy Spirit, was an Order of Chivalry under the French Monarchy. It should not be confused with the Congregation of the Holy Ghost or with the Order of the Holy Ghost...
and Lieutenant of the First Company of Musketeers of the King ; his successor in the charge was the Count D'ArtagnanD'ArtagnanCharles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
; - Margherita Mancini (born 1643)
- Alfonso Mancini (born 1644, died 1658)
- Hortense ManciniHortense ManciniHortense Mancini, duchesse Mazarin , was the favourite niece of Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister of France, and a mistress of Charles II, King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
(1646–1699), the beauty of the family, who escaped her abusive husband, Armand Charles de La Porte de La Meilleraye, Duke of La Meilleraye, and went to London, where she became the mistress of King Charles IICharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. - Anna Mancini (born 1647)
- Marie Anne ManciniMarie Anne ManciniMarie Anne Mancini, duchesse de Bouillon , was the youngest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of King Louis XIV of France as the Mazarinettes because their uncle was the king's chief minister, Cardinal...
(1649–1714), who married Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'AuvergneGodefroy Maurice de La Tour d'AuvergneGodefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French nobleman and member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, one of the most important families in France at the time...
, Duke of BouillonDuke of BouillonThe Duke of Bouillon is a title of nobility. Until the nineteenth century, the Duke of Bouillon was the ruler of the semi-sovereign Duchy of Bouillon , a small state located between Luxembourg, Champagne, and the Three Bishoprics and centered on Bouillon.- History of the Duchy of Bouillon :The...
, a nephew of the famous field marshal TurenneHenri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de TurenneHenri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
, and patroness of RacineJean RacineJean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
and La Fontaine.
Widowhood
After her husband's death in 1650, Geronima brought her children from Rome to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the hope of using the influence of her brother, Cardinal Mazarin, to gain them advantageous marriages, a goal that ultimately was very successful.
She died in Paris in 1656.