Jean-Baptiste d'Ornano, Marquis de (1581–1626) was a French nobleman and

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

(1626).

Biography

He was the son of Alphonse d'Ornano and grandson to Sampiero Corso. Early in his childhood he was prepared for coming to court and was also trained in strategy. He showed a lot of skill in the latter, so already at the age of 14 he commanded a company of

Chevau-léger The Chevau-légers (from French ''cheval''—horse—and ''léger''—light) was a generic French name for several units of light and medium cavalry. Their history began in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when the heavy cavalry forces ...

s at the Siege of La Fère in 1596 (After the Siege of Calais). He was one of the first who (by that time being colonel) praised

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

for having assassinated

Concino Concini Concino Concini, 1st Marquis d'Ancre (23 November 1569 – 24 April 1617), was an Italian politician, best known for being a minister of Louis XIII of France, as the favourite of Louis's mother, Marie de Medici, Queen of France. In 1617 he was ki ...

and regarded him as the true ruler. It was him who shouted: "Sire, at this hour you are king, for Marshal Ancre is dead." This exclamation marked the political raise of Ornano, for it pleased the insecure fifteen-year-old king who wanted to go down in history as "the Just" and justified his decision as a popular cause. That's also the reason why he put Ornano, along with a captain of the king's guards ( Nicolas de l'Hôpital de Vitry) and the latter's brother in charge of the king's military orders in Paris in order to prohibit riots. After the "Wars of Mother and Son" (1619-1620), he also became governor of the king's brother, Gaston, Duke of Orléans. The royal heir really liked Ornano and did many things he said. In 1626 this even triggered the Chalais conspiracy, for Ornano persuaded Gaston not to follow the intentions of his mother and his brother to marry. Louis XIII responded by making a clever move by first appointing Ornano marshal of France and silently arresting Ornano during one of the king's lute concerts at court afterwards. Ornano was imprisoned and died of kidney and bladder ailments without having confessed anything in prison the same year.A. Lloyd Moote: "Louis XIII, the Just", p.190-191

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Ornano, Jean-Baptiste 1581 births 1626 deaths People from Corsica French marquesses * Prisoners of the Bastille