Charles de Cossé, comte de Brissac
Encyclopedia
Charles de Cossé, comte de Brissac (1505 (O.S.)/06 — 1563), was a French courtier-soldier, named beau Brissac at court and remembered as the Maréchal Brissac. A member of the nobility of Anjou
, he was appointed in 1540 to his father's prestigious former post of Grand Falconer of France
, one of the Great Officers of the Maison du Roi, and not purely honorary, as the king still hunted with falcons
. Brissac was as well Grand Panetier. His position as colonel general
of the cavalry (1548–49) was also a court appointment. Raised to Marshal (1550) he was also Grand Master of the Artillery.
, son of François I
; the young prince made him his premier écuyer.
Not robust by nature, he made himself an agile swordsman and horseman. Sent to the siege of Naples in 1528, he made a name for himself when his forces being attacked by the Spanish upon embarking from the galleys, he was forced back to the shore's edge: there, helmetless and without his cuirass
, afoot, sword in hand, he made prisoner the armed knight on horseback who attacked him. Later he commanded a hundred light cavalry at the taking of Avigliana
and at the castle of Susa
in 1537.
Grand fauconnier de France since 1540, in 1542, he was named colonel général des gens de guerre français, à pied, de là les monts At the siege of Perpignan
, fighting under the new Dauphin (later {Henri II
) he covered himself with glory when the besieged forces surprised the unwary young nobles engaged in gaming in the dauphin's tent, defended the pieces of artillery until the infantry regrouped and relieved him.
As colonel general he was in command of all the light cavalry in Piedmont in 1543 and that same year followed the king to Flanders, where he took 600 prisoners; in the following retreat of Hapsburg forces and their allies, he took prisoner Francesco d'Este, brother of the Duke of Ferrara. In the return to France, he took the exposed position of rear guard at great personal danger.
In 1544, with his light cavalry he was sent to harass Imperial forces at Vitry-en-Perthois
, was twice taken prisoner and twice rescued by his troops. The following year he Oye in the Boulonnais. Following the peace that was agreed in 1546 he was made Grand Master of Artillery.
In the Italian War of 1551–1559, as Maréchal de France (1550) Brissac was sent as governor to French-occupied Piedmont
, where he distinguished himself by the strict discipline kept in the occupying army, maintained in fighting trim by regular military exercises and forbidden to harass peasant, merchant or bourgeois, which was considered remarkable at the time.
In 1551 Brissac established himself at Chieri and several other Piedmontese cities, obliging Gonzaga to raise the siege of Parma
. In 1553 he took Vercelli
, and pillaged the treasury of Charles III, Duke of Savoy
, which had been transported there as an impregnable place of safety. Though he was unable to take the citadel for lack of cannon, the energetic presence of Brissac in Piedmont forced the Duke to reinforcee his garrisons, weakening his forces in the field, as Brissac hoped. Perennially short of cash from the king of France, Brissac held his troops together through the force of their loyalty to him. In 1554, he occupied the hilly district of Langhe
and finished his campaign with the conquest of Ivrea
, which opened a route for the auxiliary Swiss forces. In 1555 by a daring move, he surprised and took Casale
, where the nobles of the Imperial forces, gathered for a festive tourney, had barely time to fortify themselves in the citadel. Brissac, forbidding his troops to pillage the city, secured the capitulation of the fortress and all its armaments, and paid his soldiers through the ransom
of their captives. Henri II made a present of his own sword to Brissac.
These and other episodes of his military role were recounted by François de Boivin
.
His portrait, attributed to Corneille de Lyon
is conserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
.
His son, also named Charles, headed forces loyal to the Catholic League
during the French Wars of Religion
.
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
, he was appointed in 1540 to his father's prestigious former post of Grand Falconer of France
Grand Falconer of France
The Grand Falconer of France was a position in the King's Household in France from the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. The position first appeared in 1250 as "Master Falconer of the King" ; the title was changed to Grand Falconer in 1406, although the title "First Falconer" was sometimes...
, one of the Great Officers of the Maison du Roi, and not purely honorary, as the king still hunted with falcons
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
. Brissac was as well Grand Panetier. His position as colonel general
Colonel General (France)
A Colonel General was an officer of the French army during the Ancien Régime, Napoleonic era and the Bourbon Restoration.The positions were not military ranks, but rather offices of the crown. The position was first created under François I. The Colonels General served directly below the Marshals...
of the cavalry (1548–49) was also a court appointment. Raised to Marshal (1550) he was also Grand Master of the Artillery.
Biography
The son of René de Cossé, seigneur of Brissac and of Cossé in Anjou, grand fauconnier du Roi, and of his wife Charlotte de Gouffier, he was an enfant d'honneur in the household of the dauphin FrançoisFrancis II of France
Francis II was aged 15 when he succeeded to the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, King Henry II, in 1559. He reigned for 18 months before he died in December 1560...
, son of François I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
; the young prince made him his premier écuyer.
Not robust by nature, he made himself an agile swordsman and horseman. Sent to the siege of Naples in 1528, he made a name for himself when his forces being attacked by the Spanish upon embarking from the galleys, he was forced back to the shore's edge: there, helmetless and without his cuirass
Cuirass
A cuirass is a piece of armour, formed of a single or multiple pieces of metal or other rigid material, which covers the front of the torso...
, afoot, sword in hand, he made prisoner the armed knight on horseback who attacked him. Later he commanded a hundred light cavalry at the taking of Avigliana
Avigliana
Avigliana is a town and comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, with c. 11,000 inhabitants, located about 25 km west of Turin. Avigliana lies in the Susa valley, on the highway going from Turin to Frejus ....
and at the castle of Susa
Susa, Italy
Susa is a city and comune in Piedmont, Italy. It is situated on at the confluence of the Cenischia with the Dora Riparia, a tributary of the Po River, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, 51 km west of Turin.-History:...
in 1537.
Grand fauconnier de France since 1540, in 1542, he was named colonel général des gens de guerre français, à pied, de là les monts At the siege of Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
, fighting under the new Dauphin (later {Henri II
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
) he covered himself with glory when the besieged forces surprised the unwary young nobles engaged in gaming in the dauphin's tent, defended the pieces of artillery until the infantry regrouped and relieved him.
As colonel general he was in command of all the light cavalry in Piedmont in 1543 and that same year followed the king to Flanders, where he took 600 prisoners; in the following retreat of Hapsburg forces and their allies, he took prisoner Francesco d'Este, brother of the Duke of Ferrara. In the return to France, he took the exposed position of rear guard at great personal danger.
In 1544, with his light cavalry he was sent to harass Imperial forces at Vitry-en-Perthois
Vitry-en-Perthois
Vitry-en-Perthois is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-History:Vitry-en-Perthois was called Vitry-le-Brûlé after being burnt two times; in 1142 by the armies of Louis VII of France and in 1544 by the armies of Charles V.-Geography:The Chée flows into the Saulx in the...
, was twice taken prisoner and twice rescued by his troops. The following year he Oye in the Boulonnais. Following the peace that was agreed in 1546 he was made Grand Master of Artillery.
In the Italian War of 1551–1559, as Maréchal de France (1550) Brissac was sent as governor to French-occupied Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, where he distinguished himself by the strict discipline kept in the occupying army, maintained in fighting trim by regular military exercises and forbidden to harass peasant, merchant or bourgeois, which was considered remarkable at the time.
In 1551 Brissac established himself at Chieri and several other Piedmontese cities, obliging Gonzaga to raise the siege of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
. In 1553 he took Vercelli
Vercelli
Vercelli is a city and comune of about 47,000 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC.The city is situated on the river Sesia in the plain of the river...
, and pillaged the treasury of Charles III, Duke of Savoy
Charles III, Duke of Savoy
Charles III of Savoy , often called Charles the Good, was Duke of Savoy from 1504 to 1553, although most of his lands were ruled by the French between 1536 and his death....
, which had been transported there as an impregnable place of safety. Though he was unable to take the citadel for lack of cannon, the energetic presence of Brissac in Piedmont forced the Duke to reinforcee his garrisons, weakening his forces in the field, as Brissac hoped. Perennially short of cash from the king of France, Brissac held his troops together through the force of their loyalty to him. In 1554, he occupied the hilly district of Langhe
Langhe
The Langhe is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, northern Italy....
and finished his campaign with the conquest of Ivrea
Ivrea
Ivrea is a town and comune of the province of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley , it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the centre of the Canavese area. Ivrea lies in a basin that, in prehistoric times, formed a great lake...
, which opened a route for the auxiliary Swiss forces. In 1555 by a daring move, he surprised and took Casale
Casale
Casale, Italian from the late Latin casalis for an isolated house, or group of houses, in the countryside, may refer to:-People:*Gerald Casale musician*Giovanni Casale , an Italian judoka*Giuseppe Casale Italian bishop...
, where the nobles of the Imperial forces, gathered for a festive tourney, had barely time to fortify themselves in the citadel. Brissac, forbidding his troops to pillage the city, secured the capitulation of the fortress and all its armaments, and paid his soldiers through the ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
of their captives. Henri II made a present of his own sword to Brissac.
These and other episodes of his military role were recounted by François de Boivin
François de Boivin
François de Boivin, Baron de Villars was a French chronicler.He entered the service of Marshal Charles de Brissac, as secretary, and accompanied him to Piedmont in 1550 when the marshal went to take command of the French troops in the war with Spain...
.
His portrait, attributed to Corneille de Lyon
Corneille de Lyon
Corneille de Lyon was a Dutch painter of portraits who was active from 1533 until his death in Lyon, France...
is conserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
.
His son, also named Charles, headed forces loyal to the Catholic League
Catholic League
Catholic League may refer to:*Catholic League , created by Henry of Guise, in 1576 during the French Wars of Religion*Catholic League , a confederation of Catholic German states formed to counteract the Protestant Union...
during the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
.