Abel Servien
Encyclopedia
Abel Servien, marquis de Sablé et de Boisdauphin, comte de Roche-Servien and comte de La Roche des Aubiers (November 1, 1593 – February 17, 1659) was a French
diplomat
who served Cardinal Mazarin and signed for the French at the Treaty of Westphalia
. He was an early member of the noblesse de robe
in the service of the French state.
, near Grenoble
, the son of Antoine Servien, procurator-general
of the estates of Dauphiné
.
He succeeded his father in that office in 1616, and in the following year attended the assembly of notables at Rouen
convoked by the young Louis XIII
. In 1618 he was named councillor of state and in March 1624 was called to Paris
, where he found favor with Cardinal Richelieu. He displayed administrative ability and great loyalty to the central government as intendant
in Guienne
in 1627, where his executive qualities came to the fore, and where it became clear that he had broken with his background in the parlement
s to become a trusted follower of Richelieu. In 1628 he negotiated the boundary delimitation
with Spain
. In 1629 he was with the army of the king and cardinal in the War of the Mantuan Succession
, where he remained behind at Turin to work on the peace negotiations, after the royal party had returned to France; thus by 1631 he came to know Mazarin, whom he was able to introduce to Richelieu. Servien was one of the signatories of the Treaty of Cherasco
and of the treaties with the Duke of Savoy
(1631–1632).
He was appointed president of the parlement of Bordeaux
in June 1630 but renounced the place when he was offered the post of secretary of state for war by Louis XIII. In 1634 he was the first elected member of the Académie française
. Two years later he retired from public life in disgrace as the result of court intrigue.
Servien lived at Angers
or on his estates at Sablé
until the death of Louis XIII in 1643, whereupon he was recalled to Court by Mazarin, who entrusted him with the conduct, conjointly with the count Claude d'Avaux, of French diplomatic affairs in Germany
. After five years' negotiations, and a bitter quarrel with the comte d'Avaux, which ended in the latter's recall, Servien signed the two treaties of October 24, 1648 which were part of the general Peace of Westphalia.
He received the title of minister of state on his return to France in April 1649, and remained loyal to Mazarin during the Fronde
. With the cardinal exiled, Servien was minister of state, de facto governor of France with his nephew Hugues de Lionne
and his rival Michel le Tellier
. He was made Superintendent of Finances
in 1653, conjointly with Nicolas Fouquet
. He was an adviser to Mazarin in the negotiations which terminated in the Treaty of the Pyrenees
(1659). He amassed a considerable fortune, and was unpopular, even in court circles. He died at the Château de Meudon
, which he had purchased in 1654 and where he had launched ambitious works of rebuilding.
His nephew, Hugues de Lionne
(1611–1671), marquis de Fresnes and seigneur de Berny, was a diplomat and minister of state under Louis XIV
.
Servien left an important and voluminous correspondence.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
who served Cardinal Mazarin and signed for the French at the Treaty of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
. He was an early member of the noblesse de robe
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
in the service of the French state.
Biography
Abel Servien was born at the château of BiviersBiviers
Biviers is a commune in the Isère département in south-eastern France.-Geography:The village of Biviers lies North-East of Grenoble on the D1090 road, at the foot of Mount Saint-Eynard, on a limestone scree located on the East side of the Chartreuse mountains.Towards the South-West, Biviers...
, near Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, the son of Antoine Servien, procurator-general
of the estates of Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
.
He succeeded his father in that office in 1616, and in the following year attended the assembly of notables at 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...
convoked by the young Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
. In 1618 he was named councillor of state and in March 1624 was called to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he found favor with Cardinal Richelieu. He displayed administrative ability and great loyalty to the central government as intendant
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
in Guienne
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
in 1627, where his executive qualities came to the fore, and where it became clear that he had broken with his background in the parlement
Parlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
s to become a trusted follower of Richelieu. In 1628 he negotiated the boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. In 1629 he was with the army of the king and cardinal in the War of the Mantuan Succession
War of the Mantuan Succession
The War of the Mantuan Succession was a peripheral part of the Thirty Years' War. Its casus belli was the extinction of the direct male line of the House of Gonzaga in December 1627. Brothers Francesco IV , Ferdinando and Vincenzo II , the last three dukes of Gonzaga, had all died leaving no...
, where he remained behind at Turin to work on the peace negotiations, after the royal party had returned to France; thus by 1631 he came to know Mazarin, whom he was able to introduce to Richelieu. Servien was one of the signatories of the Treaty of Cherasco
War of the Mantuan Succession
The War of the Mantuan Succession was a peripheral part of the Thirty Years' War. Its casus belli was the extinction of the direct male line of the House of Gonzaga in December 1627. Brothers Francesco IV , Ferdinando and Vincenzo II , the last three dukes of Gonzaga, had all died leaving no...
and of the treaties with the Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus I was the Duke of Savoy from 1630 to 1637. He was also titular King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was also known as the Lion of Susa-Biography:...
(1631–1632).
He was appointed president of the parlement of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
in June 1630 but renounced the place when he was offered the post of secretary of state for war by Louis XIII. In 1634 he was the first elected member of the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
. Two years later he retired from public life in disgrace as the result of court intrigue.
Servien lived at Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
or on his estates at Sablé
Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Sablé-sur-Sarthe, commonly referred to as Sablé, is a commune in the Sarthe department in the Pays de la Loire region in west France.-Geography:...
until the death of Louis XIII in 1643, whereupon he was recalled to Court by Mazarin, who entrusted him with the conduct, conjointly with the count Claude d'Avaux, of French diplomatic affairs in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After five years' negotiations, and a bitter quarrel with the comte d'Avaux, which ended in the latter's recall, Servien signed the two treaties of October 24, 1648 which were part of the general Peace of Westphalia.
He received the title of minister of state on his return to France in April 1649, and remained loyal to Mazarin during the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
. With the cardinal exiled, Servien was minister of state, de facto governor of France with his nephew Hugues de Lionne
Hugues de Lionne
Hugues de Lionne was a French statesman.He was born in Grenoble, of an old family of Dauphiné. Early trained for diplomacy, he fell into disgrace under Cardinal Richelieu, but his remarkable abilities attracted the notice of Cardinal Mazarin, who sent him as secretary of the French embassy to the...
and his rival Michel le Tellier
Michel Le Tellier
Michel Le Tellier, marquis de Barbezieux, seigneur de Chaville et de Viroflay was a French statesman.-Biography:...
. He was made Superintendent of Finances
Superintendent of Finances
The Superintendent of Finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1561 to 1661. The position was abolished in 1661 with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet, and a new position was created, the Controller-General of Finances....
in 1653, conjointly with Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV...
. He was an adviser to Mazarin in the negotiations which terminated in the Treaty of the Pyrenees
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed to end the 1635 to 1659 war between France and Spain, a war that was initially a part of the wider Thirty Years' War. It was signed on Pheasant Island, a river island on the border between the two countries...
(1659). He amassed a considerable fortune, and was unpopular, even in court circles. He died at the Château de Meudon
Château de Meudon
The former Château de Meudon, on a hill in Meudon, about 4 kilometres south-west of Paris, occupied the terraced steeply sloping site. It was acquired by Louis XIV, who greatly expanded its as a residence for Louis, le Grand Dauphin...
, which he had purchased in 1654 and where he had launched ambitious works of rebuilding.
His nephew, Hugues de Lionne
Hugues de Lionne
Hugues de Lionne was a French statesman.He was born in Grenoble, of an old family of Dauphiné. Early trained for diplomacy, he fell into disgrace under Cardinal Richelieu, but his remarkable abilities attracted the notice of Cardinal Mazarin, who sent him as secretary of the French embassy to the...
(1611–1671), marquis de Fresnes and seigneur de Berny, was a diplomat and minister of state under Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
.
Servien left an important and voluminous correspondence.
Sources
- Sven Externbrink, "Abel Servien, Marquis de Sablé - Une carrière diplomatique dans l'Europe de la Guerre de Trente AnsThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
", in Revue Historique et Archéologique du Maine, (Le Mans) 2000, 3rd series vol. 20, pp 97 – 112 (illus). - Guillaume Lasconjarias, "Voyage d'un diplomate au Congrès de Münster: Abel Servien, Marquis de Sablé (1593 - 1659)", in Revue Historique et Archéologique du Maine, (Le Mans), 2000, 3rd series vol. 20 pp. 113 - 136 (illus.).
- Guillaume Lasconjarias, "Ascension sociale et logique du prestige: Abel Servien (1593 - 1659), Marquis de Sablé et de Boisdauphin, Plénipotentiaire aux Traités de Westphalie, Surintendant des finances", in Revue Historique et Archéologique du Maine, (Le Mans), 1999, 3rd series vol. 19 pp. 191 - 298 (ollus.)
- René Kerviler, "Le MaineMaine (province)Le Maine is one of the traditional provinces of France . It corresponds to the old county of Maine, with its center, the city of Le Mans.-Location:...
à l'Académie françaiseAcadémie françaiseL'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
: Abel Servien, Marquis de Sablé", in Revue historique et archéologique du Maine, Le Mans/Mamers, 1877, vol. 2 pp. 26 - 78, 593 - 649 ; 1878, vol. 3, pp. 29 - 96, 167 - 245 (illus.). - N.B. see also : dig.edition, full text (Windows/Mac), Revue Historique et Archéologique du Maine / 1876 - 2000 (151 vol., 50000 p.), Le Mans 2007, by Société Historique et Archéologique du Maine, 17 rue de la Reine Bérengère, 72000 Le Mans.
- Andreas Rienow, "Konfliktlinien der französischen Gesandtschaft bei den Westfälischen Friedensverhandlungen - Der Streit zwischen Abel Servien und Comte d'Avaux", Munich 2008. ISBN: 978-3-640-66616-4