Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval de Brunstatt, also ''Bezenval'' or ''Beuzeval'' and ''Bronstatt, Brünstatt'' or ''Brunnstatt,'' born Peter Joseph Viktor von Besenval von Brunstatt (1721–1791), was a Swiss military officer in French service. He was usually just referred to as Baron de Besenval (the suffix Brunstatt refers to the former barony). Over time and depending on the language, the family name was adapted according to the international careers and marriages of the family members and the different spellings were adopted by chroniclers, historians and journalists.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Chapitre: Brunstatt devient une baronnie: ''Le 11 août 1726, Louis XV, roi de France, élève la terre de Brunstatt, propriété de la famille de Besenval, au rang de baronnie.'' Société d’Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, pp. 102–103

Biography

Family and relatives

Pierre Victor de Besenval was born in

Solothurn Solothurn ( ; ; ; ; ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissenstein Jura mountains. The town is ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, to Jean Victor, Baron de Besenval de Brunstatt and Katarzyna, Baronne de Besenval de Brunstatt, née Bielińska (1684–1761). His father was a colonel of the regiment of Swiss Guards in the pay of France. Through his mother, Besenval was the grandson of the Polish politician Kazimierz Ludwik Bieliński. In 1726, when he was five years old, his mother brought him to France, where his parents already lived. Théodora Élisabeth Catherine, Marquise de Broglie, née de Besenval de Brunstatt (1718–1777), was Pierre Victor de Besenval's sister. His maternal aunt was the diplomatically influential Marianna Denhoff, also Maria Magdalena, Gräfin von Dönhoff, née Bielińska.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 208Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Marriage de Jean Victor de Besenval et Katarzyna Bielińska et informations sur Kazimierz Ludwik Bieliński, Société d'Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 98''Genealogisch-historische Nachrichten von den allerneusten Begebenheiten, welche sich an den europäischen Höfen zutragen,'' Bogislaus Ernestus, Graf von Dönhoff. Der 97. Theil, des Verlegers Johann Samuel Heinsius, Leipzig, 1746
S. 796 (Ergänzungen)
Jean-Jacques Fiechter / Benno Schubiger: ''L'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris,'' Ambassade de Suisse, 2ème édition, août 1994, p. 11

Military career in France

In 1731, Pierre Victor de Besenval joined the Swiss Guards as a cadet. He was promoted to ensign in 1733 and became the commander of the regiment's Besenval company in 1738. In the French army, he was promoted to brigadier in 1747,

Maréchal de camp ''Maréchal de camp'' (sometimes incorrectly translated as field marshal) was a general officer rank used by the French Army until 1848. The rank originated from the older rank of sergeant major general ( French: ''sergent-major général'') ...

in 1758 and Lieutenant-Général in 1762. In the same year he was appointed Inspecteur général of the Swiss Guards and the

Grisons The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include: * ; *Romansh language, Romansh: ** ** ** ** ** **; * ; * ; * . See also list of European regions with alternative names#G, other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton ...

Troops in French service. Besenval served at first as aide-de-camp to Victor François de Broglie during the campaign of 1748 in

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

, then as aide-de-camp to the Duc d'Orléans during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

At the peak of his career: The queen's favourite and the purchase of the Hôtel de Besenval

In the early 1760s, the Baron de Besenval played a key role in the Duc de Choiseul's reform of the army. After being appointed military governor of

Haguenau Haguenau (; or ; ; historical ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Bas-Rhin Département in France, department of France, of which it is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture. It is second in size in the Bas-Rhin only to Strasbourg ...

in 1766, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel of the Swiss Guards in 1767. Furthermore, in 1781, he was promoted to Commandant en chef of the troops and

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

s in the interior of France. After the accession of King

Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

, Pierre Victor de Besenval became a

favorite A favourite was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler. It was es ...

of Queen Marie Antoinette, whom he assisted on various occasions with advice and assistance, such as in the affair: An Incident at the Opera Ball on Mardi Gras in 1778.Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval: ''Mémoires de M. Le Baron de Besenval,'' imprimerie de Jeunehomme, rue de Sorbonne no. 4, Paris, 1805 – chez F. Buisson, libraire, rue Hautefeuille no. 31, Paris, tome II, pp. 282–329 It was on 5 December 1767, that Pierre Victor de Besenval bought his Parisian residence, the ''Hôtel Chanac de Pompadour,'' thereafter renamed

Hôtel de Besenval The Hôtel de Besenval is a historic ''hôtel particulier'' in Paris, dating largely from the 18th century, with a ''Court of honor (architecture), cour d'honneur'' and a large English landscape garden, an architectural style commonly known as ''en ...

.Jean-Jacques Fiechter / Benno Schubiger: ''L'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris,'' Ambassade de Suisse, 2ème édition, août 1994, p. 13J. Vacquier, Secrétaire général de la Société d'Histoire et d'Archéologie du VIIe Arrondissement de Paris: ''Les vieux hôtels de Paris – Le Faubourg Saint-Germain, décorations extérieures et intérieures,'' tome I, 2ème édition, F. Contet, libraire, 101, rue de Vaugirard, Paris, 1911, p. 4

French Revolution, family and last years

When the French Revolution broke out, the Baron de Besenval remained firmly attached to the royal court and was given command of the troops which the king had concentrated in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in July 1789, a move which led to the

Storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille ( ), which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison k ...

on 14 July 1789. In the eyes of contemporaries, the Baron de Besenval acted unluckily in the crisis. When the revolutionary masses demanded his head after the Taking of the Bastille, he tried to escape to his home country, Switzerland.

Suspected by the people and valued by kings and queens

Pierre Victor de Besenval was arrested and tried by the tribunal of the Grand Châtelet in November 1789 of the crime of '' lèse-nation'', but was acquitted on 1 March 1790. Following the acquittal, King

and Queen Marie Antoinette had publicly expressed their joy that the baron had been acquitted of all charges. Another king, King Stanisław II August of Poland, with whom the Baron de Besenval was related on his mother's side, was also pleased by the acquittal. In a letter dated 7 April 1790, the king instructed his ambassador in Paris to congratulate the baron's lawyer, Raymond Desèze, on his victory and had the ambassador present him with a medal as a token of thanks. The letter of the King of Poland was published in the '' Moniteur Universel'' on 16 May 1790.Raymond Desèze: ''Plaidoyer prononcé à l'audience du Châtelet de Paris, tous les services assemblés, du Lundi 1er mars 1790, par M. Desèze, avocat au Parlement, pour M. Le Baron de Besenval, accusé, contre M. Le Procureur du Roi au Châtelet, accusateur,'' chez Prault, Imprimeur du Roi, Quai des Augustins, Paris, 1790Journal de Paris: ''L'affaire de Besenval – Acquittement de l'accusation de lèse-nation, le 1er mars 1790,'' Numéro 225, supplément au Journal de Paris, Vendredi, 13 août 1790, de la Lune le 4, de l’imprimerie de Quillau, rue Plâtrière, 11, Paris, supplément (no. 59)Jean-Jacques Fiechter: ''Baron Peter Viktor von Besenval: Ein Solothurner am Hofe von Versailles,'' Rothus Verlag, Solothurn, 1994, p. 177

An illegitimate heir for his treasure house in Paris

Pierre Victor de Besenval was considered a womaniser. Accordingly, he had several affairs. The mother of his only son, Joseph-Alexandre Pierre, Vicomte de Ségur, was Louise-Anne-Madeleine, Marquise de Ségur, née de Vernon (1729–1778), the wife of his best friend Philippe Henri, Marquis de Ségur. However, this was no secret within the family. Besenval never married. He died in Paris on 2 June 1791 in his residence, the

, which he left to his only child, Joseph-Alexandre Pierre de Ségur.Gabrielle Claerr Stamm: ''De Soleure à Paris : La saga de la famille de Besenval, seigneurs de Brunstatt, Riedisheim et Didenheim,'' Société d’Histoire du Sundgau, 2015, p. 148–151Gouverneur Morris: ''Journal de Gouverneur Morris,'' par E. Pariset, traduit de l'anglais, Plon-Nourrit et Cie., Imprimeurs-Éditeurs, 8, rue, Garancière, Paris, 1901, p. 8Jean-Jacques Fiechter / Benno Schubiger: ''L'Ambassade de Suisse à Paris,'' Ambassade de Suisse, 2ème édition, août 1994, p. 17

Literary works

Memoiren_Baron_de_Besenval_Erstausgabe_von_1805

Pierre Victor de Besenval authored moral-philosophical essays, novels, tales and poetic epistles. However, he is principally known as the author of his memoires, which were published between 1805 and 1806 by Joseph-Alexandre Pierre, Vicomte de Ségur, in which are reported many scandalous tales of the court of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The family de Besenval questioned the authenticity of the memoirs and distanced themselves from them.

Bibliography (partial list)

The entire literary work of Pierre Victor de Besenval was described by his publisher as: ''A literary, historical and political miscellany – followed by some poems.''Pierre Victor, Baron de Besenval: ''Mémoires de M. Le Baron de Besenval,'' imprimerie de Jeunehomme, rue de Sorbonne no. 4, Paris, 1806 – chez F. Buisson, libraire, rue Hautefeuille no. 31, Paris, tome IV, frontispiece * ''Le Spleen'' * ''Idées politiques et militaires'' * ''Les Amans soldats'' * ''Féerie'' * ''Socrate et Gassendi'' * ''Alonzo'' * ''Coelia'' * ''Réflexions sur la Comédie'' * ''L'Hermite'' * ''Réflexions sur le Ton'' * ''Histoire des Revenans'' * ''Pensées détachées'' * ''Nouvelle espagnole'' * ''Du Chagrin'' * ''Anecdote bretonne'' * ''Première Scène d'une Comédie'' * ''Aventure et Conversation de M. le Baron de Besenval avec une Dame de Wesel'' * ''Opinion des Turcs sur les femmes'' * ''Disgrace de Madame des Ursins et ce qui l'a occasionnée'' * ''De la Douleur'' * ''Traduction d'un ouvrage chinois sur les jardins'' * ''Épître à Damon'' * ''Épître au Comte de F…'' * ''A l'Abbé Allaire, mon précepteur, en lui envoyant une collection d'auteurs latins'' * ''Sur la mort du Comte de Frise, neveu du Maréchal de Saxe''

References

External links

''Visites privées – Les réceptions de l'ambassadeur''
Stéphane Bern and his team, together with Dr. Guillaume Poisson of the University of Lausanne, visit the Ambassador of Switzerland, Bernardino Regazzoni, at the

in 2016
''Les Trésors des Ambassades Parisiennes''
Dr. Guillaume Poisson, University of Lausanne, presents the

in 2024, as part of a broadcast about the most beautiful embassies of Paris {{DEFAULTSORT:Besenval De Brunstatt, Pierre Victor, Baron De 1721 births 1791 deaths People from Solothurn Swiss mercenaries Swiss people of Polish descent French military personnel of the Seven Years' War 18th-century Swiss military personnel