François d'Aubusson de La Feuillade
François d'Aubusson de La Feuillade, Duc de Roannais (1625 or 1631 – 1691) was a French officer and noble who eventually rose to become a Marshal of France. La Feuillade was the colonel-general of the Gardes Francaises from 1672 until his death.[1] He was also governor of the Dauphiné.[2][3][4]
Biography
He had the Place des Victoires rebuilt with in the center an equestrian monument in honor of King Louis XIV, celebrating the Treaties of Nijmegen.
He also tried to make the River Loire navigable, but failed causing an inundation, which greatly damaged his reputation.
He was detested by Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon.
La Feuillade's son (by his wife Charlotte de Gouffier), Louis d'Aubusson de La Feuillade (1673–1725), was also a Marshal of France. The younger La Feuillade served in the War of the Spanish Succession.
A gilded bronze statute of him was unveiled in the Place des Victoires,inaugurated on March 26 1686.[5]
He died in 1691 and is buried in the cemetery Saint-Eustache in Paris. In 1787, his remains were transferred to the catacombs of Paris.[6]
Character
Spirit, great value, greater boldness, however foolish advanced ruled by ambition, and integrity and strong against the rnain with flattery and baseness insignia to the king, made his fortune and made him a character to the court concerned ministers and especially the continual knives with M. de Louvois. He always distinguished himself by his diligence and magnificence. He renewed old apotheoses far beyond what the Christian religion could suffer; but he did not wait for the King was dead to his own, he would not have received the fruit. He pushed the servitude to climb once behind the king's carriage, to track where he had been refused to go, and it succeeds him perfectly...[7]
Heraldry
His Coat of Arms is described as D'or à la croix ancrée de gueules.[8]
References
- ↑ http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/officiers.htm
- ↑ Louis-Gabriel Michaud, Biographie Universelle Ancienne et Moderne, 1815, Volume 14, p.455-456
- ↑ Bettina Cenerelli, Place des Victoires : Histoire, architecture, société, 2004, p. 37-48
- ↑ Robert Guinot, François d'Aubusson : duc de La Feuillade, 2008, p.146.
- ↑ Jacques Hillairet, Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris, t. II, Paris, Éditions de Minuit, 2e éd., 1964
- ↑ Philippe Lefrançois, Paris souterrain, coll. Encyclopédie pittoresque, Les Éditions internationales, 1950, p.59.
- ↑ Louis de Rouvroy de Saint-Simon, Mémoires (1721-1723) : Additions au Journal de Dangeau, Éditions Gallimard, 1988, p. 678.
- ↑ Michel Popoff (préf. Hervé Pinoteau), Armorial de l'Ordre du Saint-Esprit : d'après l'œuvre du père Anselme et ses continuateurs, Paris, Le Léopard d'or, 1996, p.204.