Laura Margherita Mazzarini (1608–9 June 1685) was the daughter of

Pietro Mazzarini Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis X ...

and Ortensia Buffalini.

Life and career

On 9 July 1634 she was married to Count

Girolamo Martinozzi Girolamo is an Italian variant of the name Hieronymus. Its English equivalent is Jerome. It may refer to: * Girolamo Cardano (1501–1576), Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler * Girolamo Cassar (c. 1520 – after ...

(b. 1610). They had two daughters: Anna Maria (Rome, 1637 - Paris, 4 February 1672) and Laura (Fano, 22 April 1639 - Rome, 19 July 1687). In 1647 she was called by her brother

Jules Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis XIV ...

, minister to

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 ...

with her sister and daughters, to settle at the French royal court because, under the protection of her brother, she would be able to marry her daughters to powerful men. Mazzarini lived with the rest of the family, first at

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

, then in the palace of her brother and finally settled at the court of Queen

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (french: Anne d'Autriche, italic=no, es, Ana María Mauricia, italic=no; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was an infanta of Spain who became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XIII from their marriage in 1615 unti ...

, in the apartment of the Marquise de La Rochefoucauld. Courtiers, seeking to win the favor of powerful Mazarin, sought in every way to please both Laura and her family. Queen Anne personally took care of the girls' education. Unlike her sister Geronima who, in the words of the abbot of Choisy, "did not ever bother anyone," Laura was more ambitious. Her brother managed to find good matches for the Martinozzis: Laura was married to

Alfonso IV d'Este Alfonso IV d'Este (2 February 1634 – 16 July 1662) was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1658 until his death. He was the father of Mary of Modena, consort of James II of England. Alfonso was born in Modena, the eldest son of Francesco I d'E ...

; Anna Maria to

Armand, Prince of Conti Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti (11 October 162926 February 1666), was a French nobleman, the younger son of Henri, Prince of Condé (1588–1646), Henri II, Prince of Condé and Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency, daughter of Henri I de Mon ...

. A daughter of Laura,

Maria Beatrice d'Este Mary of Modena ( it, Maria Beatrice Eleonora Anna Margherita Isabella d'Este; ) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James II and VII. A devout Roman Catholic, Mary married the widower James, who was then the young ...

, became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland through marriage to

James II of England James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Gloriou ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazzarini, Laura Margherita 1608 births 1685 deaths 17th-century Italian nobility 17th-century Italian women People from Rome