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Françoise de Maintenon

Type Figure Region France Time 1635–1719 Also known as Madame de Maintenon、曼特农夫人、Françoise d'Aubigné

Françoise de Maintenon was the most influential court political figure of Louis XIV's France, born at Niort in 1635 and dying at Saint-Cyr in 1719;…

Timeline

  1. 1635–1669Niort · PoitouBorn Françoise d'Aubigné near Niort, she endured wandering in the West Indies and mainland France in childhood. In youth she converted to Catholicism, met the poet Scarron in Paris in the 1660s, and after widowhood gradually entered the margins of high society, paving the way for her later entry to court.
  2. 1669–1680Versailles · Île-de-FranceIn the early 1670s Maintenon was entrusted with educating the illegitimate children of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan, winning the king's trust through her rigor and piety. In 1674 she received the title of Marquise de Maintenon and gradually replaced Montespan's influence at the king's side. During this period she helped shape court appointments and the religious atmosphere, laying the groundwork for the secret marriage around 1680.
  3. 1680–1719Versailles and Saint-Cyr · FranceIn late 1683 Maintenon secretly married Louis XIV (Queen Maria Theresa having died that July); though without the public status of a queen she long influenced religious policy, appointments, and court discipline. In 1686 she founded the school at Saint-Cyr to educate noble girls. After Louis XIV's death she retired to Saint-Cyr, dying in 1719, leaving extensive correspondence and a legacy of educational reform.

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