Hugues de Lionne

Hugues de Lionne (Grenoble, October 11th 1611 - Paris, September 1st 1671), marquis of Fresnes, lord of Berny, was a Diplomate and Minister of state under the reign of Louis XIV.

Resulting from a noble family of the Dauphine , his/her father is Artus de Lionne, wire of Sebastien, itself General inspector of finances and his/her mother is Isabeau, sister of Abel de Servien. It is his/her uncle who will teach him his trade from diplomat.

In 1642, Mazarin sends it on mission in Italy, to reconcile the Duc of Parma and the Papauté.

In 1646, it becomes Secrétaire of the commands of the regent Anne of Austria.

In 1653, it enters to the service of the king. Anti-excessively pious person and epicurean, it buys the same year the Château of Berny in which, like his friend Fouquet, it will give sumptuous festivals.

In 1654, he is ambassador extraordinary with Rome for the election of the pope Alexandre VII.

In 1656, it is with Madrid for the preliminaries of peace between Spain and France.

In 1658, it is with Frankfurt, to create the Ligue of the Rhine, after the election of the emperor Léopold Ier.

He is the negotiator of the Traité of the Pyrenees (1659) which closes the Guerre Thirty Year old. It is him which insisted to insert the clause of the dowry of 500.000 ecus gold for Marie-Therese in exchange of the renouncement of its rights on the crown of Spain.

In March 1661, with Tellier and Nicolas Fouquet to which it is very close, it belongs to the three ministers of state warmly recommended to the king by Mazarin before dying. A few days later, he concludes the marriage from Mister, brother of Louis XIV with Henriette of England, sister of the king Charles II.

In 1662, it negotiates alliance free-Dutchwoman against Spain, and repurchases Dunkirk with the English. The April 3rd 1663, it is named Secretary of foreign affairs, station which it will keep until his death on September 1st 1671.

In 1667, it contributes to the Traité of Breda then with the Traité of Aachen in 1668.

September 1st, 1671, Hugues de Lionne dies in 60 years by leaving his load to his son who had survival of it. But this one is not considered to be rather qualified by the king who forces it to give up this load in exchange of that much less important of " Master of the guard-robe". The successor of Lioness will be thus his friend Pomponne.

He left Mémoires .

Saint-Simon called Lionne " the largest Minister for the règne" .

Louis XIV drew up this portrait of the minister " Pas one of my subjects had not been often any more employed with the foreign negotiations nor with more success. He knew various the Courses of the Europe, spoke and wrote easily several languages, had the humanities, the spirit easy, flexible, skilful, specific to this kind of treaty with the foreigners ".

Partial source

Random links: