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Statue of Louis XII (reigned 1498-1515) above a porcupine, the royal symbol, at the entrance to Chateau de Blois
October 1974
2400 dpi scan of 6x6cm VP-120 negative shot with Mamiya C220 TLR
As seen from across Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis, Roi-de-France, Spanish: Catedral de San Luis), is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the oldest cathedral in what would become the United States. The first church on the site was built in 1718; the third, built in 1789, was raised to cathedral rank in 1793. The cathedral was expanded and largely rebuilt in 1850, with little of the 1789 structure remaining. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Cathedral_(New_Orleans)
Many people can't seem to enjoy just a plain sky. Here, I masked a recent photo and "pasted" in on top of an inverted sky.
The title is based on an old song from the 1960s - "Louie, Louie" Since this is a statue of Louis IX
I don't use Photoshop - too complicated for me. I use Digital Image Pro that I got for $30.00 after rebates. .
1k-2972 paste-on sky
The back of a bronze statue of King Louix IX, the French king whom Saint Louis is named after, reflects on the front door of the Saint Louis Art Museum.
It is golden hour, early morning.
Jackson Square is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Overlooking is Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France
Porcupine, symbol of King Louis XII (1462-1515) over a doorway, Chateau de Blois
October 1974
2400 dpi scan of 6x6cm VP-120 negative shot with Mamiya C220 TLR
King Louis IX of France, in front of the Art Museum in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. No manipulation.
1k-7686e
Chateau de Chambord, Chambord castle, jewel of the Loire: The influence of a Master At the heart of a game-filled forest in the Loire www.loiretourisme.com/en/home , the Château of Chambord is highly symbolic of French Renaissance and looms up from the Sologne swamp land. Chambord was born from the dream of King François I who brought back from his battles in Italy numerous artists, including Leonardo da Vinci. The architect of Chambord remains unknown, but this masterpiece seems to have been inspired by the sketches of da Vinci himself (particularly the famous double staircase). A marvel from the Renaissance The Château of Chambord marked the beginning of the French Renaissance, a clever combination of Italian principles and French traditions. Chambord is a château with perfect proportions, radiating a feeling of majesty and harmony from its decorations and size. Take Leonardo’s Staircase to reach the upper levels. Once at the top of the keep, admire the rich fantasy from the roof spiked with many turrets, chimneys, vertiginous skylights, and the breath-taking view over a domain as vast as Paris. Chambord was not designed to be a permanent residence, merely a hunting lodge. François I enjoyed retiring here to indulge in his love for hunting, which at that time was reserved for nobility. He spent very little time at the château, leaving it void of furniture and inhabitants after each visit. As a result, it remained unfinished… Over the centuries, other historical figures and kings of France stayed here and continued making embellishments on the château - among them was the famous ‘Sun King,’ Louis XIV.
1498 Crowning of Louis XII, the Chambord estate becomes Crown property. 1519 Beginning of construction work on the château as wished by François I. 1535 End of construction work on the keep and beginning of construction work on the lower wings. 1539 François I is visited by Charles Quint at Chambord 1547 Death of François I. Continuation of construction work under Henri II who hunts here regularly, and the signing of the 3-bishopric treaty. 1641 – 1660 Louis XIII grants Chambord to his brother Gaston of Orleans who often stays here. 1660 – 1685 Louis XIV stays at Chambord nine times, one hundred days in all. His last stay is from the 6th of September to the 28th of October 1685. Molière creates and stages the first performance of the 'bourgeois gentilhomme' and 'monsieur de Pourceaugnac' at the château. 1680 – 1685 Construction work by architects J. Hardouin Mansart and d’Obray to finish the château. 1725 – 1733 Stanislas Leszczynski, King of Poland and also Louis XV’s father-in-law, stays at Chambord in exile .1809 Napoleon offers the domain to Marshal Berthier. It becomes annexed to the principality of Wagram. Berthier only comes for two days and then dies in 1815. 1819 Marshal Berthier’s widow obtains authorisation from Louis XVIII to sell the domain. 1821 Chambord is offered to the Duke of Bordeaux, King Charles X’s grandson and future Count of Chambord, by public subscription. 1840 Registered on the first list of historical monuments by Prosper Mérimée. 1871 On 5th July, the Count of Chambord decides to publish his manifesto by which he refuses to become Henri V, faithful to the white flag affair. 1883 Death of the Count of Chambord. The domain is passed on to his nephews from the Bourbon Parma family. 1914 On the 14th of September, it is confiscated by the State. 1930 Acquisition by the State and administration by the department of domains. 1947 The State entrusts the administration of Chambord to different bodies (finance, architecture, water and forest, roads) – the game park is registered as a classed site. 1970 On 8th December, President Pompidou names a commissioner for the development of the national Domain of Chambord, responsible for the development and management of the Domain of Chambord. 1981 Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 1997 whole of the domain becomes classed according to the Law of 1913 on historical monuments. 2005 The law of February 23, 2005 relating to the decentralisation of rural territories, hands over the management of the National Domain of Chambord to a public institution with commercial and industrial aims (EPIC). loire-chateaux.co.uk/en-gb/chateaux/chambord/national-dom... www.chambord.org/en/
El grupo de tumbas reales que encontramos aquí es el conjunto funerario de escultura más importante de Francia que abarca desde la Edad Media hasta el Renacimiento.
Ésta del primer término de la foto, es la del rey Dagoberto I, (603-639)
Several of the roofs of Chambord chateau are designed to be walked on and here in Black & white is view towards one of the main towers.
The influence of a Master At the heart of a game-filled forest in the Loire www.loiretourisme.com/en/home , the Château of Chambord is highly symbolic of French Renaissance and looms up from the Sologne swamp land. Chambord was born from the dream of King François I who brought back from his battles in Italy numerous artists, including Leonardo da Vinci. The architect of Chambord remains unknown, but this masterpiece seems to have been inspired by the sketches of da Vinci himself (particularly the famous double staircase). A marvel from the Renaissance The Château of Chambord marked the beginning of the French Renaissance, a clever combination of Italian principles and French traditions. Chambord is a château with perfect proportions, radiating a feeling of majesty and harmony from its decorations and size. Take Leonardo’s Staircase to reach the upper levels. Once at the top of the keep, admire the rich fantasy from the roof spiked with many turrets, chimneys, vertiginous skylights, and the breath-taking view over a domain as vast as Paris. Chambord was not designed to be a permanent residence, merely a hunting lodge. François I enjoyed retiring here to indulge in his love for hunting, which at that time was reserved for nobility. He spent very little time at the château, leaving it void of furniture and inhabitants after each visit. As a result, it remained unfinished… Over the centuries, other historical figures and kings of France stayed here and continued making embellishments on the château - among them was the famous ‘Sun King,’ Louis XIV.
1498 Crowning of Louis XII, the Chambord estate becomes Crown property. 1519 Beginning of construction work on the château as wished by François I. 1535 End of construction work on the keep and beginning of construction work on the lower wings. 1539 François I is visited by Charles Quint at Chambord 1547 Death of François I. Continuation of construction work under Henri II who hunts here regularly, and the signing of the 3-bishopric treaty. 1641 – 1660 Louis XIII grants Chambord to his brother Gaston of Orleans who often stays here. 1660 – 1685 Louis XIV stays at Chambord nine times, one hundred days in all. His last stay is from the 6th of September to the 28th of October 1685. Molière creates and stages the first performance of the 'bourgeois gentilhomme' and 'monsieur de Pourceaugnac' at the château. 1680 – 1685 Construction work by architects J. Hardouin Mansart and d’Obray to finish the château. 1725 – 1733 Stanislas Leszczynski, King of Poland and also Louis XV’s father-in-law, stays at Chambord in exile .1809 Napoleon offers the domain to Marshal Berthier. It becomes annexed to the principality of Wagram. Berthier only comes for two days and then dies in 1815. 1819 Marshal Berthier’s widow obtains authorisation from Louis XVIII to sell the domain. 1821 Chambord is offered to the Duke of Bordeaux, King Charles X’s grandson and future Count of Chambord, by public subscription. 1840 Registered on the first list of historical monuments by Prosper Mérimée. 1871 On 5th July, the Count of Chambord decides to publish his manifesto by which he refuses to become Henri V, faithful to the white flag affair. 1883 Death of the Count of Chambord. The domain is passed on to his nephews from the Bourbon Parma family. 1914 On the 14th of September, it is confiscated by the State. 1930 Acquisition by the State and administration by the department of domains. 1947 The State entrusts the administration of Chambord to different bodies (finance, architecture, water and forest, roads) – the game park is registered as a classed site. 1970 On 8th December, President Pompidou names a commissioner for the development of the national Domain of Chambord, responsible for the development and management of the Domain of Chambord. 1981 Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 1997 whole of the domain becomes classed according to the Law of 1913 on historical monuments. 2005 The law of February 23, 2005 relating to the decentralisation of rural territories, hands over the management of the National Domain of Chambord to a public institution with commercial and industrial aims (EPIC). loire-chateaux.co.uk/en-gb/chateaux/chambord/national-dom... www.chambord.org/en/
Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of the city of New Orleans. It also happens to be one the oldest cathedrals in the U.S.A.
The magnificent Château d'Amboise overlooks the Loire valley www.loiretourisme.com/en/home in Amboise www.tourisme.fr/1717/office-de-tourisme-amboise.htm , at the heart of the Touraine region. The castle, representative of French Renaissance and the home of several successive Kings of France, is part of the group of castles in the Loire valley. Impressive and refined, the Château d’Amboise is situated on a ridge overhanging the valley. Besides being a royal residence, it is also known for its Saint Hubert chapel, a masterpiece of extravagant gothic architecture, which houses the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci, and also for its gardens.
Decorative stonework and a spectacular view of the valley The château is a lesson in architecture and a journey through the centuries, with its fortifications, impressive towers (the Minimes tower and the Heurtault tower), lintels, gothic and Renaissance style windows and its constructions dating back to between the Middles Ages and the Renaissance. Overlooking the valley, its residences, balconies and gardens, create an atmosphere of grandeur and encourage contemplation and relaxation.
The Grandeur of a Royal Castle Before it was associated with the crown in 1434, the castle belonged to the House of Amboise for over four centuries. During the Renaissance, it served as the residence of several Kings of France. The son of Louis XI, Charles VIII, who was raised in the region, appreciated the relaxed way of life in Touraine and made it his preferred home. With a passion for Italian culture, he invited many Italian artists to Amboise, who completely transformed the castle into the style of the Renaissance. He also called on an Italian horticulturist to improve the gardens. Other features were created by French artists.
The Memory of Leonardo da Vinci in the Clos Lucé Several successive Kings would extend the castle, which became a centre of power and intellectual and worldly living. Its renowned library was even the breeding place for the Bibliothèque nationale (the National Library). Louis XII invited Leonardo da Vinci to stay in the Château du Clos Lucé (the Castle of Clos Lucé), close to the royal residence. An historical centre, Amboise notably provided a backdrop for the Conspiracy of Amboise, which was a prelude to the religious wars. www.france.fr/en/art-and-culture/chateau-damboise.html www.chateau-amboise.com/en/
Paris' oldest tree - France.
.....Planted in 1602 by Parisian botanist Jean Robin ( 1550 - 1629 ) in the reign of
Henry the fourth, King of France ( who also ruled as Henry the third, King of Navarre ).
..........In its prime, it was 15m. tall and 3.5m. in circumference. Its height was shortened
by a shell during World War One.
.....It stands resplendent in the Square Rene Viviani - Paris, supported by cement columns - at the young age of 406 years : ).
When the Manoir du Cloux became the property of an ennobled kitchen boy. The epic story of this dwelling, made from pink bricks and tufa stones, built on Gallo-Roman foundations, began in the reign of Louis XI, in 1471. Given by the King to his favourite Etienne le Loup, a former kitchen boy whom he ennobled, the Manoir du Cloux – today the Château du Clos Lucé – was surrounded by fortifications. All that remains of these today is the watchtower. At the far end of the park, Etienne le Loup had a pigeon loft, which remains intact, big enough to contain 1000 pigeonholes. At the heart of Amboise in the Loire www.loiretourisme.com/en/home
The Château du Clos Lucé, residence of the Kings of France. The Château du Clos Lucé was purchased by Charles VIII on 2nd July 1490, and became the summer residence of the Kings of France, who lived in the Loire Valley at the Château d’Amboise. Charles VIII transformed the Mediaeval fortress into a charming château and had a chapel built for the Queen, Anne of Brittany, who mourned the loss of her young children there. Later, the young Duke of Angoulême, the future Francis I, organised tournaments in the gardens at Le Clos Lucé. His sister, Marguerite of Navarre, wrote the stories of the "Heptaméron" there. Brother and sister received visits from painters, architects and poets, and brought the place alive with the spirit of the Renaissance.
The final dwelling place of Leonardo da Vinci. It was in 1516 that Francis I, advised by his sister Marguerite de Navarre, issued an invitation to Leonardo da Vinci. “ Here you will be free to dream, to think and to work”. This was how the King of France welcomed the Italian genius, who crossed the Alps on a mule, bringing with him three of his most important works: The Mona Lisa, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, and the Saint John the Baptist, that he finished here, at the Château du Clos Lucé. Leonardo da Vinci received a pension of 1000 gold crowns per year, and was named “The King’s First Painter, Engineer and Architect”. Until his death, he was the object of real affection on the part of Francis I – who called him “my Father” – his sister Marguerite and the whole Court.
Times of chivalry and times of bloodshed at Le Clos Lucé. The death of Leonardo da Vinci, on 2nd May 1519, marked the end of an era in the history of the Château du Clos Lucé. After its times of royalty and its times of genius, Le Clos Lucé knew times of chivalry and times of bloodshed. The beautiful Babou de la Bourdaisière, favourite of Francis I, was installed there, followed by several grand ladies of easy virtue and Michel du Gast, Captain of the Guard of Henri III, who took part in the assassination of Cardinal de Guise. In 1660, the Manoir du Cloux took the name of the Château du Clos Lucé. It later belonged to the D’Amboise family, who saved it from destruction during the French Revolution.
A listed monument, to revive the spirit of the Renaissance. The Château du Clos Lucé is a listed monument, and has belonged to the Saint Bris family since 1854. Restoration work inside and outside was begun in the 1960s to restore the building’s Renaissance appearance. The kitchen, the great Council Chamber, the bedroom, the underground rooms where forty machines designed by Leonardo da Vinci are displayed, as well as the chapel and its frescoes, have all been restored to their appearance of yesteryear. Chateau du Clos Luce (Luce Hall), Amboise www.tourisme.fr/1717/office-de-tourisme-amboise.htm , Loire, France. www.vinci-closluce.com/en/
The Basilica of St. Louis and the Gateway Arch within the Gateway Arch National Park in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.
Taken from the revolving restaurant called Top of the Riverfront at the Millennium St. Louis Hotel as the sun was setting. You can see the long shadow the Gateway Arch casts over the river.
Fun Facts: Both the width and height of the arch are 630 feet. The arch is the tallest memorial in the United States and the tallest stainless steel monument in the world.
In the foreground, you see the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, It is colloquially known as the Old Cathedral. It is one of two Catholic basilicas in St. Louis, and it is named for King Louis IX of France, also the namesake for the city of St. Louis.
Prunkharnisch
Heinrich 3, König von Frankreich (1551-1589)
Pomp Harness
Henry 3 King of France (1551-1589)
Art History Museum Vienna - New Castle
Collection of Arms and Armour
Claude Nicolas Ledoux & Auguste Dumont, 1787/1845, Reuilly, Paris, Île-De-France, FRA, portail. Translation: Philip Augustus [from Throne Barrier], Claude Nicolas Ledoux & Auguste Dumont, 1787/1845, Reuilly, Paris, Island Of France, France, gate.
Palace of Versailles by a summer night.
Versailles - Yvelines (78) - France
Stitched Panorama (freehand)
28mm | 3 pictures
in "L'allée du roi" - téléfilm en 2 parties, paru en 1995 -
Only in french but perhaps an english version exists
Paissez mes agneaux, paiisez mes brebis" ("Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.")
Nave Ceiling Painting
The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis, Roi de France), is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans; it has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the (as now constituted) United States. The first church on the site was built in 1718; the third, built in 1789, was raised to cathedral rank in 1793. The cathedral was expanded and largely rebuilt in 1850, with little of the 1789 structure remaining.
Saint Louis Cathedral is in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, on the Place John Paul II (French: Place Jean-Paul II), a promenaded section of Chartres Street (rue de Chartres) that stretches one block between St. Peter Street (rue Saint-Pierre) on the upriver boundary and St. Ann Street (rue Sainte-Anne) on the downriver boundary. It is located next to Jackson Square and facing the Mississippi River in the heart of New Orleans, situated between the historic buildings of the Cabildo and the Presbytère. It is one of the few Roman Catholic churches in the United States that fronts a major public square.
Three Roman Catholic churches have stood on the site since 1718. The first was a crude wooden structure in the early days of the colony. Construction of a larger brick and timber church was begun in 1725 and was completed in 1727. Along with numerous other buildings, the church was destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire (1788) on Good Friday, March 21, 1788. The cornerstone of a new church was laid in 1789 and the building was completed in 1794. In 1793 Saint Louis Church was elevated to cathedral rank as the See of the Diocese of New Orleans, making it one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States. In 1819 a central tower with the clock and bell was added.
Enlarging the building to meet the needs of the growing congregation had been pondered since 1834, and J. N. B. de Pouilly was consulted to design plans for a new building. De Pouilly also designed St. Augustine Church in Tremé, the first church building dedicated as a parish church outside the French Quarter. (The Mortuary Chapel on North Rampart had been dedicated in 1827 as a chapel, and St. Vincent de Paul was established in a little frame church in 1838 but not dedicated.) On March 12, 1849, the diocese contracted with John Patrick Kirwan to enlarge and restore the cathedral, using De Pouilly's plans.
These specified that everything except the lateral walls and the lower portions of the existing towers on the front facade be demolished. During the reconstruction, it was determined that the sidewalls would have to be demolished also. Then, during construction in 1850, the central tower collapsed. De Pouilly and Kirwan were replaced.[1] As a consequence, very little of the Spanish Colonial structure survived. The present structure primarily dates to 1850. The bell from the 1819 tower was reused in the new building. It remains there today.[2] During the renovation, St. Patrick's Church served as the pro-cathedral for the city.
On April 25, 1909, a dynamite bomb was set off in the Cathedral, blowing out windows and damaging galleries. The Cathedral suffered damage in the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915. The following year a portion of the foundation collapsed, necessitating the building's closure while repairs were made, from Easter 1916 to Easter 1917.
The cathedral was designated as a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1964. Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral in September 1987. Today the parish has over 6000 members.
The high winds of Hurricane Katrina managed to displace two large oak trees in St. Anthony's Garden behind the Cathedral, dislodging 30 feet (9.1 m) of ornamental gate, while the nearby marble statue of Jesus Christ lost a forefinger and a thumb. More seriously, the winds tore a hole in the roof, allowing water to enter the building and severely damage the Holtkamp pipe organ. Shortly after the storm, the organ was sent back to Holtkamp to be rebuilt.[citation needed] An electronic substitute was used until June 2008, when the organ was reinstalled in the Cathedral. Originally installed during the Cathedral's extensive renovation in 2004, the organ was donated by longtime choir master and organist Dr. Elise Cambon. - wikipedia
©2012 Phil Roussin ® All Rights Reserved
The Church of St. Louis of the French (Italian: San Luigi dei Francesi, French: Saint Louis des Français, Latin: S. Ludovici Francorum de Urbe) is a Roman Catholic church in Rome, not far from Piazza Navona. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to St. Denis the Areopagite and St. Louis IX, king of France. The church was designed by Giacomo della Porta and built by Domenico Fontana between 1518 and 1589, and completed through the personal intervention of Catherine de' Medici, who donated to it some property in the area. It is the national church in Rome of France. (Wikipedia, 2019)
The Sieur de Monts Spring House was built in Acadia National Park by George B. Dorr in 1909. On a nearby rock he carved “The Sweet Waters of Acadia” which can still be seen today. This serves as an important monument to the Park's formation.
The Sieur de Monts Spring plays a significant role in the history of Acadia National Park. George B. Dorr, a private citizen who lived in the late 1800's and early 1900's, was a major contributor to the park's conception and creation through his vision and passion to preserve and protect the natural beauty of Mount Desert Island.
Sieur de Monts Spring got its name from Pierre Du Gua de Monts, an early 1600's Lieutenant Governor of New France who was commissioned by King Henry IV in 1603. The King directed Sieur de Monts “to establish the name, power, and authority of the King of France; to summon the natives to a knowledge of the Christian religion; to people, cultivate, and settle the said lands; to make explorations and especially to seek out mines of precious metals.” At that time, Lieutenant Governor Sieur de Monts had authority over all of North America between the 40th and 46th parallels (from Montreal to present day Philadelphia).
Source: www.acadiamagic.com
September 2, 2012, Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine, taken here.
UNESCO:
L'utilisation exceptionnelle des nouvelles techniques architecturales du XIIIe siècle et l'harmonieux mariage de la décoration sculptée avec les éléments architecturaux ont fait de la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims un des chefs-d'œuvre de l'art gothique. L'ancienne abbaye, qui a conservé une très belle nef du XIe siècle, abrite les restes de l'archevêque saint Rémi (440-533), qui institua la sainte onction des rois de France. Le palais du Tau, ancien palais archiépiscopal, qui occupait une place importante dans la cérémonie du sacre, a été presque entièrement reconstruit au XVIIe siècle.
UNESCO:
The outstanding handling of new architectural techniques in the 13th century, and the harmonious marriage of sculptural decoration with architecture, has made Notre-Dame in Reims one of the masterpieces of Gothic art. The former abbey still has its beautiful 9th-century nave, in which lie the remains of Archbishop St Rémi (440–533), who instituted the Holy Anointing of the kings of France. The former archiepiscopal palace known as the Tau Palace, which played an important role in religious ceremonies, was almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century.
Collégiale de Poissy, au 1er plan Saint Louis - Louis IX, roi de France de 1226 à 1270
né le 25 Avril 1214 à Poissy.
panorama de photos avec assemblage CS6
Château de Chambord
Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, Loire Valley, France, 1999
built 1519-1547 by King Francis I
Image (146)
The Presentation of Marie de' Medici's Portrait to Henry IV
Peter Paul Rubens ♦ Marie de' Medici cycle.♦ Galerie Médicis (room 801).♦ Louvre
A series of 24 paintings commissioned by Marie de Médicis, Queen dowager of France, widow of Henry IV and mother of Louis XIII ((b. 1601) for the Luxembourg Palace, 1621 onward
Installed in the Louvre in 1900.
20190420_213439
A marble bust of Louis XIV ('Louis the Great') of France (1638-1715) in Bernini style (Gian Lorenzo Bernini, 1598–1680) at Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte.
The chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte was built between 1657-61 by Nicolas Fouquet (1615-80), Minister of Finance under Louis XIV. Fouquet's position allowed him to gain great wealth. So much so that, at the beginning of the 1660s, his wealth and authority nearly rivaled those of the throne. Ultimately young Louis saw Fouquet as a threat to his reign. The antipathy of the young king was aggravated by the fact that, at the same time that the royal treasury was experiencing great difficulties, the private resources of the Superintendent allowed him to lead a luxurious life. Fouquet had effectively established himself as a nobleman, surrounding himself with financiers, diplomats, women, artists, and men of letters of the highest rank. His ostentation and ambition, illustrated by his way of life, made Fouquet a formidable adversary in royal circles.
From the time of Louis XIV’s ascension to the throne Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), a French politician, had set his sights on Fouquet’s position. Some claim that Colbert falsified the documents which finally served to condemn the Superintendent. In any case, the king and Colbert considered Fouquet an arrogant obstacle to the consolidation of their power.
The chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte emerged as the main symbol of Fouquet’s influence. To inaugurate his splendid residence, Fouquet organized an extravagant party on August 17, 1661. He invited the king, Colbert and the entire court. The ball, the chateau and Fouquet were a sensation, and the king believed himself surpassed by a bourgeois whose family was unknown two generations before. Filled with animosity toward the king, Fouquet, according to certain historians, pursued the king’s mistress, Louise-Françoise de la Baume Le Blanc (1644-1710), the marquise de La Vallière. Furious and humiliated, Louis XIV had Fouquet arrested three weeks later, accusing him of misappropriation of public funds. Found guilty after a lengthy trial, Fouquet spent the rest of his life in prison where he died a forgotten man. Rid of his main rival, Louis XIV thereafter assumed personal control of the government. Colbert assumed Fouquet's job and became Minister of Finance.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia:
King of France, son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile, born at Poissy, 25 April, 1215; died near Tunis, 25 August, 1270.
He was eleven years of age when the death of Louis VIII made him king, and nineteen when he married Marguerite of Provence by whom he had eleven children. The regency of Blanche of Castile (1226-1234) was marked by the victorious struggle of the Crown against Raymond VII in Languedoc, against Pierre Mauclerc in Brittany, against Philip Hurepel in the Ile de France, and by indecisive combats against Henry III of England. In this period of disturbances the queen was powerfully supported by the legate Frangipani. Accredited to Louis VIII by Honorius III as early as 1225, Frangipani won over to the French cause the sympathies of Gregory IX, who was inclined to listen to Henry III, and through his intervention it was decreed that all the chapters of the dioceses should pay to Blanche of Castile tithes for the southern crusade. It was the legate who received the submission of Raymond VII, Count of Languedoc, at Paris, in front of Notre-Dame, and this submission put an end to the Albigensian war and prepared the union of the southern provinces to France by the Treaty of Paris (April 1229). The influence of Blanche de Castile over the government extended far beyond St. Louis's minority. Even later, in public business and when ambassadors were officially received, she appeared at his side. She died in 1253.
St. Louis led an exemplary life, bearing constantly in mind his mother's words: "I would rather see you dead at my feet than guilty of a mortal sin." His biographers have told us of the long hours he spent in prayer, fasting, and penance, without the knowledge of his subjects. The French king was a great lover of justice. French fancy still pictures him delivering judgements under the oak of Vincennes. It was during his reign that the "court of the king" (curia regis) was organized into a regular court of justice, having competent experts, and judicial commissions acting at regular periods. These commissions were called parlements and the history of the "Dit d'Amiens" proves that entire Christendom willingly looked upon him as an international judiciary. It is an error, however, to represent him as a great legislator; the document known as "Etablissements de St. Louis" was not a code drawn up by order of the king, but merely a collection of customs, written out before 1273 by a jurist who set forth in this book the customs of Orléans, Anjou, and Maine, to which he added a few ordinances of St. Louis.
St. Louis was a patron of architecture. The Sainte Chappelle, an architectural gem, was constructed in his reign, and it was under his patronage that Robert of Sorbonne founded the "Collège de la Sorbonne," which became the seat of the theological faculty of Paris.
He was renowned for his charity. The peace and blessings of the realm come to us through the poor he would say. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. He founded many hospitals and houses: the House of the Felles-Dieu for reformed prostitutes; the Quinze-Vingt for 300 blind men (1254), hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, Compiégne.
Read More: www.newadvent.org/cathen/09368a.htm
The stained glass window can be seen inside St. Bonaventure Church, 174 Ramsey Street, Paterson, NJ.
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-Miraclescom/174742155915715
Photograph Copyright 2012 Loci B. Lenar