Louis de Brézé, seigneur d'Anet
Encyclopedia
Louis de Brézé, seigneur d'Anet and comte de Maulevrier (died July 23, 1531) was a French nobleman, the grandson of King Charles VII of France
by his natural daughter with his mistress Agnès Sorel
.
. His paternal grandfather was Pierre de Brézé
, who had built a Gothic château near the foundation of the dismantled donjon of Anet. This Louis inherited at his father's death in 1490. Louis's first wife was Catherine de Dreux.
He married Diane de Poitiers
on March 29, 1515, and they had two daughters. Louis was much older than Diane, but they were loyal to one another and had a happy marriage until his death. He was influential at court, being named Sénéchal of Normandy and Master of the Hunt. His home was the family seat, the Château d'Anet
, which stood in a royal hunting preserve in the valley of the Eure
.
In 1523, Louis discovered a plot against King Francis I
. He did not know at the time that his father-in-law, Jean de Poitiers, Seigneur de Saint Vallier
, was involved in the plot. Louis was condemned to death over that involvement, but reprieved by the king due to his having no direct involvement.
Before his death in 1531, Louis encouraged the marriage of Prince Henry
to the Pope's great-niece, Catherine de' Medici
, thus setting up the triangle that was to continue until Henry's death, with his widow, Diane de Poitiers, becoming Henry's mistress. For Diane King Henry II rebuilt the old Château d'Anet
, which became one of the first French Renaissance
châteaux, and she would be entrusted with much of the management of royal court business.
The tomb that Diane erected for Louis in the cathedral of Rouen
was one of the early projects of the great French Renaissance sculptor, Jean Goujon
.
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
by his natural daughter with his mistress Agnès Sorel
Agnès Sorel
Agnès Sorel , known by the sobriquet Dame de beauté, was a favourite mistress of King Charles VII of France, for whom she bore three daughters....
.
Birthright, marriage, political intrigues
Louis was the son of Jacques de Brézé, Sénéchal of Normandy, and Charlotte de France, the middle of the king's three daughters by Agnès SorelAgnès Sorel
Agnès Sorel , known by the sobriquet Dame de beauté, was a favourite mistress of King Charles VII of France, for whom she bore three daughters....
. His paternal grandfather was Pierre de Brézé
Pierre de Brézé
Pierre de Brézé was a French soldier and politician in the service of King Charles VII. He had made his name in the English wars when in 1433 he joined with Yolande, queen of Sicily, the constable Richmond and others, in chasing from power Charles VII's minister La Trémoille...
, who had built a Gothic château near the foundation of the dismantled donjon of Anet. This Louis inherited at his father's death in 1490. Louis's first wife was Catherine de Dreux.
He married Diane de Poitiers
Diane de Poitiers
Diane de Poitiers was a French noblewoman and a prominent courtier at the courts of kings Francis I and his son, Henry II of France. She became notorious as the latter's favourite mistress...
on March 29, 1515, and they had two daughters. Louis was much older than Diane, but they were loyal to one another and had a happy marriage until his death. He was influential at court, being named Sénéchal of Normandy and Master of the Hunt. His home was the family seat, the Château d'Anet
Château d'Anet
The Château d'Anet is a château near Dreux, France, built by Philibert de l'Orme from 1547 to 1552 for Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henry II of France...
, which stood in a royal hunting preserve in the valley of the Eure
Eure
Eure is a department in the north of France named after the river Eure.- History :Eure is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
.
In 1523, Louis discovered a plot against King Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
. He did not know at the time that his father-in-law, Jean de Poitiers, Seigneur de Saint Vallier
Jean de Poitiers, Seigneur de Saint Vallier
Jean de Poitiers, Seigneur de Saint Vallier was a French nobleman best known as the father of Diane de Poitiers.He was the son of Aymar de Poitiers and Jeanne de La Tour d'Auvergne....
, was involved in the plot. Louis was condemned to death over that involvement, but reprieved by the king due to his having no direct involvement.
Before his death in 1531, Louis encouraged the marriage of Prince Henry
Henry 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,...
to the Pope's great-niece, 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....
, thus setting up the triangle that was to continue until Henry's death, with his widow, Diane de Poitiers, becoming Henry's mistress. For Diane King Henry II rebuilt the old Château d'Anet
Château d'Anet
The Château d'Anet is a château near Dreux, France, built by Philibert de l'Orme from 1547 to 1552 for Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henry II of France...
, which became one of the first French Renaissance
French Renaissance
French Renaissance is a recent term used to describe a cultural and artistic movement in France from the late 15th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that many cultural historians believe originated in northern Italy in the fourteenth century...
châteaux, and she would be entrusted with much of the management of royal court business.
The tomb that Diane erected for Louis in the cathedral of Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
was one of the early projects of the great French Renaissance sculptor, Jean Goujon
Jean Goujon
Jean Goujon was a French Renaissance sculptor and architect.-Biography:His early life is little known; he was likely born in Normandy and may have traveled in Italy...
.