Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duke of Mortemart (25 August 1636 – 15 September 1688) was a French nobleman and member of the ancient
House of Rochechouart
The House of Rochechouart (; ) is the oldest noble family in France. This powerful dynasty of the Carolingian era dates back to Foucher, supporter of Charles the Bald, who became viscount (''vicomte'') of Limoges in 876. His descendants—Limoge ...
. His father
Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duke of Mortemart (1600 – 26 December 1675) was a French nobleman and father of the ''Marquise de Montespan''. He was a friend of the French King Louis XIII.
Biography
Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart ...
was a childhood friend of
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 ...
. His older sister was
Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Gabrielle may refer to:
* Gabrielle (given name), a French female given name derived from Gabriel
Film and television
* ''Gabrielle'' (1954 film), a Swedish film directed by Hasse Ekman
* ''Gabrielle'' (2005 film), a French film directed by P ...
, the celebrated beauty of the era; another sister was
Madame de Montespan Madame may refer to:
* Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French
* Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel
* ''Madame'' ( ...
herself the mistress of
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
. He was ''Général des galères'' 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 (1 ...
, ''Maréchal de Vivonne''.
Biography
The only son of
Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duke of Mortemart (1600 – 26 December 1675) was a French nobleman and father of the ''Marquise de Montespan''. He was a friend of the French King Louis XIII.
Biography
Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart ...
, he was a member of the ancient
House of Rochechouart
The House of Rochechouart (; ) is the oldest noble family in France. This powerful dynasty of the Carolingian era dates back to Foucher, supporter of Charles the Bald, who became viscount (''vicomte'') of Limoges in 876. His descendants—Limoge ...
which were the most ancient noble family in France after the royal family. This powerful dynasty of the
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
era dates back to
Foucher, supporter of
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...
, who became viscount (vicomte) of
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
in 876. His descendants—
Limoges
Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...
,
Rochechouart
Rochechouart (, ; oc, Rechoard, link=no, earlier ''La Ròcha Choard'') is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, west central France. It is a subprefecture of the department.
The name of the town comes from La ...
,
Mortemart
Mortemart (; oc, Mòrtamar) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in west-central France.
See also
*Communes of the Haute-Vienne department
Ref ...
and
de Brosse—ruled over the area for several centuries. The family takes its name from their seat at
Rochechouart
Rochechouart (, ; oc, Rechoard, link=no, earlier ''La Ròcha Choard'') is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, west central France. It is a subprefecture of the department.
The name of the town comes from La ...
.
His siblings were famous in their own right; his eldest sister,
Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Gabrielle may refer to:
* Gabrielle (given name), a French female given name derived from Gabriel
Film and television
* ''Gabrielle'' (1954 film), a Swedish film directed by Hasse Ekman
* ''Gabrielle'' (2005 film), a French film directed by P ...
(1634–1693), was a celebrated beauty famed for her obsession with her own self-importance; the next sister,
Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1643–1707), was the future ''
maîtresse en titre
''Maîtresse'' (French for "mistress" or "teacher") is a 1975 French sex comedy film co-written and directed by Barbet Schroeder, starring Bulle Ogier and, in one of his earliest leading roles, Gérard Depardieu. The film provoked controversy i ...
'' of
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
from 1667 giving him seven children. His youngest, often called ''the'' most beautiful of the Mortemart daughters, was
Marie Madeleine, who took a religious path in life later being nicknamed the ''reine des Abbesses'', "Queen of Abbesses". She was the
Abbess of Fontevraud, the ancient and wealthy convent in
Anjou Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
* County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
**Duk ...
.
He was born at the Hôtel de Rochechouart, the family town house in Paris, on 25 August 1636 and was given the courtesy title of Count of Vivonne, one of the family's numerous titles. The county was later elevated to a ''duchy'' by which he is better known. He was an ''enfant d'honneur'', a child which had the right to play with the infant Dauphin, the future Louis XIV. Later on, he was noted as one of the bravest and wittiest men at Louis XIV's court.
Louis Victor voluntarily entered the military in 1653 as the Captain of the Royal Guard under the command of
Roger de Rabutin, cousin of the famous
Madame de Sévigné Madame may refer to:
* Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French
* Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel
* ''Madame'' ...
. He distinguished himself greatly in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
and in
Artois
Artois ( ; ; nl, Artesië; English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras (Dutch: ''Atrecht'') ...
under the command of
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne (11 September 161127 July 1675), commonly known as Turenne , was a French general and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illustrious member of the ...
, ''Vicomte de Turenne''. He was notable for his involvement in the sieges of
Landrecies
Landrecies (; nl, Landeschie) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
History
In 1543, Landrecies was besieged by English and Imperial forces, who were repulsed by the French defenders. In 1794, it was besieged by Dutch forces, ...
,
Condé-sur-l'Escaut
Condé-sur-l'Escaut (, literally ''Condé on the Escaut''; pcd, Condé-su-l'Escaut) is a commune of the Nord department in northern France.
It lies on the border with Belgium. The population as of 1999 was 10,527. Residents of the area are kno ...
and
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...
. Roger de Rabutin reported to his cousin the bravery of the young Louis Victor at Condé under his command.
Later Colonel of the ''Royal Etranger'', he served in Italy twice before demanding a place in the Marines. He worked with the
Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort (), a title in the Peerage of England, was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of So ...
, and was later created the ''
Grand Master of Navigation''.
General of the Galleys
Captain of vessels and created a
Peer of France
The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages.
The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...
in 1663, he embarked with the unfortunate
Chevalier Paul
Jean-Paul de Saumeur (1598 — 20 December 1667), often called Chevalier Paul was a French admiral and naval officer who served in several Mediterranean campaigns. Despite his very modest origins, he was attracted to the Navy from a young age. Af ...
on an expedition to
Jijel
Jijel ( ar, جيجل), the classical Igilgili, is the capital of Jijel Province in north-eastern Algeria. It is flanked by the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Corniche Jijelienne and had a population of 131,513 in 2008.
Jijel is the administra ...
in north eastern
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
. When war had been declared with Spain in 1667, Louis Victor distinguished himself in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
under the eyes of the king himself. When not on the field, Louis Victor was campaigning on the galleys becoming ''général des galères'' in March 1669, partly due to the influence of his sister
la ''Belle Montespan'' who had been Louis XIV's mistress for about two years by then. Some time after his promotion he attacked the Turks who had invaded the Venetians at the
siege of Candia
The siege of Candia (modern Heraklion, Crete) was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, or a total of 21 years, it is the second-longest siege in history after the siege of Ce ...
. After the death of Beaufort (25 June 1669) Louis Victor bought up the vessels and continued the fight.
Injured due to combat on 24 July, he was quick to realise that he could not force the Turks to retreat, withdrawing himself to
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
. In 1671 he was given command of protecting the southern coast of France from barbary pirates. In 1672, in the
French War with Holland, he took part in the famous crossing of the Rhine. His horse, ''Claud Le Blanc'', tripped in the water, causing Louis Victor to fall into the river. At the same moment, he was shot in the arm and he had to be carried away in a sling but he was carried with the pride of the Mortemarts. In 1673 he signalled the siege of
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
. The next year he was named Governor of Champagne.
Viceroy of Sicily
The next year, 1675, Louis XIV sent him to
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
where there had been a revolt under Spanish control of
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
. By 11 February he had sent relief to the town and on 2 August 1675 he was created a Marshal of France. He was known as the ''Maréchal de Vivonne''. In August 1676, (22 Aug.) he was made the Viceroy of Sicily, where he sent navies to
Duquesne Tourville who were fighting with the Dutch in the
Battles of Augusta (22 April 1676) and
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
(2 June 1676). Louis Victor is known to have declared to the local people on behalf of the Sun King that there was held "nothing more at heart than the triumph of the victims against their oppressors" and that he would "take them definitively under his powerful and friendly protection".
Despite this, the king ordered Louis Victor to abandon the site in January, 1678, leaving Messina to defend itself. As time went on, French men who were left at the place were killed by Sicilians out of reaction to the French abandonment.
After the French evacuated Messina in April 1678, Louis Victor stopped working at sea.
First Gentleman of the King's Chamber
Returning to Paris having a very successful military career, he was created ''
Premier gentilhomme de la Chambre du Roi'', "First Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber". He had returned to a court that was no longer dominated by his sisters influence. Despite this, he had an intriguing life at court and later became an intimate of the king himself. "Monsieur de Vivonne had infinite spirit and entertained it without fear; he pleased the king with a hundred stories"
[''M. de Vivonne avait infiniment d'esprit, l'amusait sans pouvoir se faire craindre. Le roi en faisait cent contes plaisants''] reported the
duc de Saint-Simon
Duke of Saint-Simon (french: duc de Saint-Simon; es, duque de Saint-Simon) was a title in the Peerage of France and later in the Peerage of Spain. It was granted in 1635 to Claude de Rouvroy, comte de Rasse.. The title's name refers to the seign ...
.
Louis Victor was also close to the playwright
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...
, and
Nicolas Boileau
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to:
People Given name
* Nicolas (given name)
Mononym
* Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer
* Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer
Surname Nicolas
* Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
, whom, he himself presented to the king.
His only son, Louis died in April 1688; Louis Victor was greatly affected by the loss of his only son.
He died at Chaillot aged 52. He was succeeded by his grandson
Louis de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1681–1740) Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ...
.
His daughter, Marie Élisabeth, comtesse de Castries, was a lady-in-waiting to her first cousin, the
duchesse d'Orléans
Duchesse (Duchesse satin) was a soft, heavy, and glossy satin cloth made in France.
Weave
Duchesse was produced with a satin weave with fine silk threads using a higher number of threads per square inch in the warp with at least seven floati ...
; the two were very close but when Madame de Castries suggested a marital union between the families, the
Duchess of Orléans
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
reprimanded her for the idea of an Orléans daughter marrying a mere nobleman.
He was outlived by his wife, Antoinette Louise who died in 1709.
Issue
Louis Victor married Antoinette Louise de Mesmes (1640–10 March 1709) at the
Château de Beyne in September, 1655. The couple had six children, three of which would have progeny.
*Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1658 – 24 October 1733) never married; Abbess of
Beaumont-lès-Tours
Beaumont-lès-Tours, in the Indre-et-Loire department of France, is a former commune in the Touraine, near the large town of Tours.
It was famed for its large religious institution, the Benedictine Abbey of Beaumont-lès-Tours, once the home of ...
like her second cousin
Henriette Louise de Bourbon
Henriette Louise de Bourbon (Henriette Louise Marie Françoise Gabrielle; 15 January 1703 – 19 September 1772) was a French princess by birth and a member of the House of Bourbon. She was the abbess of Beaumont-lès-Tours Abbey.
Biography E ...
;
*
Charlotte de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1660 – 18 April 1729) married
Henri, Duke of Elbeuf
Henri de Lorraine (7 August 1661–17 May 1748) was Duke of Elbeuf and member of the House of Lorraine. He succeeded his father Charles de Lorraine to the Duchy-Peerage of Elbeuf. He was also a Peer of France.
Biography
Born to Charles III, Duk ...
(son of
Charles III, duc d'Elbeuf
Charles III (1620 – 4 May 1692) was the third Duke of Elbeuf and member of the House of Lorraine. He succeeded his father Charles II, Duke of Elbeuf, to the Duchy-Peerage of Elbeuf. His mother was an illegitimate daughter of Henry IV of France ...
and
Catherine Henriette de Bourbon
Catherine Henriette de Bourbon (11 November 1596 – 20 June 1663) was an illegitimate daughter of King Henry IV of France and his long-term ''maîtresse en titre'' Gabrielle d'Estrées. She was declared legitimate on 17 November 1596 at the Abbe ...
) and had issue;
*
Louis de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1663 – 3 April 1688) married Marie Anne Colbert, daughter of
Jean Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...
on 14 February 1679 and had issue; known as the ''prince de Tonnay-Charente''; his descendants include the present
Duke of Noailles
The title of Duke of Noailles was a French peerage created in 1663 for Anne de Noailles, Count of Ayen.
History
Noailles is the name of a prominent French noble family, derived from the castle of Noailles in the territory of Ayen, between Briv ...
and the present
Marquess of Lansdowne
Marquess of Lansdowne is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain created in 1784, and held by the head of the Petty-Fitzmaurice family. The first Marquess served as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Origins
This branch of the Fitzmaurice famil ...
through
Émilie Jane de Flahault de Billarderie;
*Marie Élisabeth de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1663 – 5 May 1718) married Joseph François de La Croix, Marquis of Castries on 19 May 1693 and had issue; she was a lady in waiting to her first cousin the
Duchess of Orléans
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
;
*Louise Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1664 – 16 February 1742) never married; Abbess in Fontevrault; shared her name with her cousin the
Duchess of Bourbon
Lady of Bourbon
House of Bourbon, 950–1218
House of Dampierre, 1228–1288
House of Burgundy, 1288–1310
:Beatrix of Burgundy, Dame de Bourbon, None
Capetian House of Clermont, 1310–1327
Duchess of Bourbon
First Creati ...
and
Mademoiselle du Maine;
*Gabrielle Victoire de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1670 – 23 April 1740) married
Alphonse de Créquy on 12 September 1702 and had no issue;
See also
*
Vivonne (disambiguation) __NOTOC__
Vivonne is a commune in France.
Vivonne may also refer to:
People
*Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1636-1688), known by the name Vivonne
* Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet (1588-1665), a member of the French no ...
References and notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rochechouart De Mortemart, Louis Victor De Rochechouart De
Louis Victor
1636 births
1688 deaths
2
17th-century peers of France
Nobility from Paris
Military personnel from Paris