Duchesse d'Aiguillon

Duchesse d'Aiguillon

Marie Madeleine de Vignerot du Pont de Courlay, Duchesse d'Aiguillon (1604 – 17 April 1675) was the daughter of Cardinal Richelieu's sister, Françoise du Plessis and her husband René Vignerot.

In 1620 she married a nephew of the constable de Luynes, Antoine de Beauvoir du Roure, sieur de Combalet, who died in 1622. In 1625, through her uncle's influence, she was made a lady-in-waiting (dame d'atour) to the queen-mother Marie de' Medici, and in 1638 was created duchess of Aiguillon.

She did not marry a second time, although Richelieu wished to marry her to a prince, either to the comte de Soissons or to the king's brother.

Patron of science and arts

After the death of the cardinal (1642) she retained her honours and titles, but withdrew from the court and devoted herself entirely to works of charity. She became a patron of work involving science and the arts, providing funding for many notable initiatives. She entered into relations with Saint Vincent de Paul and helped him to establish the hospital for foundlings. She also took part in organizing the General Hospital and several others in the provinces. She was the patroness of Pierre Corneille, who in 1636 dedicated his tragedy Le Cid to her. She also had the vision to provide patronage to Marie Crous, a woman mathematician who introduced the decimal system to France with her published research.

She died on 17 April 1675.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia article

Persondata
Name	Aiguillon, Duchesse d
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1604
Place of birth
Date of death	17 April 1675
Place of death