Duke of Brissac
Encyclopedia
Duke of Brissac is the title of a distinguished noble family of France. The fief of Brissac in Anjou
was acquired at the end of the 15th century by a noble French family named Cossé belonging to the same province. René de Cossé married into the Gouffier
family, who were at that time very powerful at court. He was awarded the title of premier panetier (baker extraordinaire) to Louis XII
. Two of his sons were marshals of France.
Brissac was assigned the status of county in 1560 and allotted to Charles, the elder, who was grandmaster of artillery, and governor of Piedmont
and of Picardy
. It was he who introduced the Italian violin to the French court. The second, Artus, who held the offices of grand panetier
of France and superintendent of finance, distinguished himself in the religious wars. Charles II de Cossé, Duke of Brissac
fought for the League, and as governor of Paris opened the gates of that town to Henry IV
, who created him marshal of France
in 1594.
Brissac was raised in status to a duchy in the peerage of France in 1611. Louis Hercule Timoléon de Cossé-Brissac
, the commandant of the constitutional guard
of Louis XVI
, was killed during the September Massacres
at Versailles
on September 9, 1792 for his devotion to the king, at which his body was butchered and his head severed. The head was wrapped in a cloth and transported by a drunken peasant mob to the château de Louveciennes
, and thrown into an open window, landing at the feet of his lover, Madame du Barry
.
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...
was acquired at the end of the 15th century by a noble French family named Cossé belonging to the same province. René de Cossé married into the Gouffier
Gouffier
Gouffier, the name of a great French family, which owned the estate of Bonnivet in Poitou from the 14th century.*Guillaume Gouffier, chamberlain to Charles VII, was an inveterate enemy of Jacques Coeur, obtaining his condemnation and afterwards receiving his property...
family, who were at that time very powerful at court. He was awarded the title of premier panetier (baker extraordinaire) to Louis XII
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. Two of his sons were marshals of France.
Brissac was assigned the status of county in 1560 and allotted to Charles, the elder, who was grandmaster of artillery, and governor of 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...
and of Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
. It was he who introduced the Italian violin to the French court. The second, Artus, who held the offices of grand panetier
Grand Panetier
The Grand Panetier of France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the Maison du Roi , one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi, and functional chief of the " paneterie" or bread department.-French history:Originally the...
of France and superintendent of finance, distinguished himself in the religious wars. Charles II de Cossé, Duke of Brissac
Charles II de Cossé, Duke of Brissac
Charles II de Cossé was the first Duke of Brissac from 1611 until his death. He was also a Marshal of France, a title conferred upon him by King Henry IV after Charles opened the gates of Paris to him in 1594....
fought for the League, and as governor of Paris opened the gates of that town to Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, who created him marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
in 1594.
Brissac was raised in status to a duchy in the peerage of France in 1611. Louis Hercule Timoléon de Cossé-Brissac
Louis Hercule Timoléon de Cossé-Brissac
Louis Hercule Timoléon de Cossé-Brissac, duc de Brissac was a French politician and peer of France. He was grand panetier de France, governor of Paris, capitaine colonel of the cent Suisses of the garde du roi, and a knight in various orders...
, the commandant of the constitutional guard
Constitutional Guard
When the National Constituent Assembly split on 3 September 1791, it decreed that king Louis XVI should have a Constitutional Guard, also known as the garde Brissac after its commander Louis Hercule Timolon de Cossé, duc de Brissac...
of Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
, was killed during the September Massacres
September Massacres
The September Massacres were a wave of mob violence which overtook Paris in late summer 1792, during the French Revolution. By the time it had subsided, half the prison population of Paris had been executed: some 1,200 trapped prisoners, including many women and young boys...
at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
on September 9, 1792 for his devotion to the king, at which his body was butchered and his head severed. The head was wrapped in a cloth and transported by a drunken peasant mob to the château de Louveciennes
Château de Louveciennes
The Château de Louveciennes in Louveciennes, in the Yvelines department of France, is composed of the château itself, constructed at the end of the 17th century. It was then expanded and redecorated by Ange-Jacques Gabriel for Madame du Barry in the 18th century, and the music pavilion was...
, and thrown into an open window, landing at the feet of his lover, Madame du Barry
Madame du Barry
Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry was the last Maîtresse-en-titre of Louis XV of France and one of the victims of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution.-Early life:...
.