These Women of the 17th Century


 

On August 2015 a new book (Edition PERRIN) had been published (it would be her second last !) from our preferred author Juliette BENZONI It was about spies, mistresses and courtesan's at the Reign of Louis XIV. Sadly it would be the Romancière's second last book, six months later Juliette left us on a Sunday 7 February 2016.

She speaks of Queen Marie-Thérèse of Austria as if the wife of Louis XIV were her confidante. Joëlle Chève 2015 ~ [HISTORIA magazine]

 

Synopsis : Ces femmes du Grand Siècle 2015




About twenty portraits of emblematic and essential women from the reign of Louis XIV. Female agent, mistresses or courtesan, they all evolve in the shadow of the Sun King.
Louis XIV's secret agent, woman of letters and power, adventuress, rebel, scorned wife, schemer or favorite... all the women gathered by Juliette Benzoni evolve in the shadow of the Sun King. All are emblematic and essential figures of the 17th Century.
Combining the breath of adventure with the rigour of history, Juliette Benzoni brings these exceptional women back to life, whether they are spies, mistresses or courtesans, whether they are the Mancini sisters, the Princess of the Ursins, the Grande Mademoiselle, Henriette of England, the Marquise de Sévigné, Louise de La Vallière or Ninon de Lenclos....


Table of contents

L'enlèvement de Madame de Miramion - Le roman tumultueux de la marquise de Coligny - L'étrange histore de la comtesse de Verrue - Marie-Anne de la Trémoille, princesse des Ursins - Le valvaire de la comtesse de Saint-Géran - Mademoiselle épouse Lauzun - Le grand amour de Ninon de Lenclos - Le roman scandaleux de la princesse de Cantecroix - La princesse et le barbaresque - « Madame », Henriette d'Angleterre , belle-soeur de Louis XIV - Louise de Keroualle, agent secret de Louis XIV - L'aventure de Riza Bey et d'Adélaïde de Lespinay - La tendre aventure du président Lescot - La « glace » de la marquise de Sévigné - Le renoncement de Louise de La Vallière - Quand Louis XIV aimait Marie Mancini - Marie de Bretagne, duchesse de Montbazon - Les amoureux de Mademoiselle de Kerbrizon - Le mariage mouvementé de Charlotte de Calvières - Françoise de Roquelaure : entre l'amour et l'avarice - La mort mysérieuse de Marquise Du Parc - La Champmeslé : un montre sacré au Grand Siècle


♣This Book of short stories is available on Kindle with the same image here




♣ This Book was also translated into Russian : 




♣ On October 2017,  Edition Pocket published for the first time Ces Femmes du Grand Siècle.



On all the cover we see the painting of Marie Mancini (Cardinal Mazarin's niece) King Louis XIV first love.
 




And meanwhile, the Ladies...

Did the Sun King overshadow all his contemporaries? Not necessarily, explains Juliette Benzoni in this collection devoted to the famous women of the 17th century. They had charm, beauty, cruelty, cunning and courage. Ninon de Lenclos, the Princess of Ursins, the Mancini sisters and other lesser-known women all had remarkable fates. The story is told with the usual talent of the queen of historical novels. V. M.

~ Article by Vincent Meylan,  journalist, author and personal friend of Juliette Benzoni 2015 ~  [Journal Point de Vue ]  


Heroines in the limelight

Portraits of Women

Heroines past and present deserve to be told. Four books to prove it.

If literary prizes reserve very little space for women, all you have to do is look elsewhere to find something to satisfy our frustration. Novels, personal accounts or stories, bookshops are full of works that are well worth the diversions. And, let's face it, most books about women are written... by women. No matter.

There are the wives and... the spies, mistresses and courtesans at the court of Louis XIV, "Ces femmes du Grand Siècle" described by Juliette Benzoni. We meet illustrious figures such as the Marquise de Sévigné, Ninon de Lenclos and the Countess de Saint-Géran.

But the specialist in the beds of kings and queens also reveals other faces. For example, that of the Princesse de Cantecroix, a magnificent blonde with green eyes who struck Duke Charles IV of Lorraine to the heart. These seductresses were not only pretty, they could also be formidable manipulators.

~ Extraxt of an article by Valérie Trierweiler 2015 ~  [Magazine Paris Match ]




♣Juliette BENZONI - The diva of the great sagas
She evokes Queen Marie-Thérèse of Austria as if the wife of Louis XIV were her confidante.



Among the many historical short stories written for the magazine Confidences, in which Juliette Benzoni made her debut in the 1960s, some have remained unpublished.
Found at the bottom of a trunk, they reveal the qualities of style, sobriety, elegance, light irony and descriptive talent that made their author such a success nearly sixty years ago.

And, beyond a love story embroidered on the ever-present Montespan, La Vallière or Ninon de Lenclos, this is a chance to get to know some of the great and lesser-known ladies, to whom she restores the beauty, piquancy, audacity and wit that were the bedrock of their happiness, their misfortune and even their dishonour. Just for the fun of it!


~ Article by Joëlle Chève  2015 ~  [magazine HISTORIA]

I absolutely love this article by Joëlle Chevé in HISTORIA ! Linda, webmaster




2015 Publisher Perrin (founded 1827) introduced in his catalog for foreign customers Juliette Benzoni's new book Ces Femmes du Grand Siècle (These women of the Grand Siècle)

So far this splendid book who offers 20 profiles of famous and extraordinary women in the reign of Sun-King Louis XIV has not been translated ! Juliette Benzoni shows once more her immense talent to make you believe the author knew these historic characters personally. A lecture you can with you on a holiday, long train trip and you will be entertained for hours.

Spies, courtesans or mistresses, who all lived out their destinies in the shadow of the Sun-King. For example :  the Marquise de Sévigné, Louise de la Vallière, Ninon de l'Enclos, Henriette of England, King Louis XIV sister-in-law, Marie Mancini, niece of Cardinal Mazarin and King Louis XIV first love...


 
My little Jewels...

Exract of the chapter « When Louis XIV loved Marie Mancini »

Cardinal Mazarin - principal Minister of State from 1643 to 1661 in the Bibliothèque Mazarine (by Robert Nantueil)

Dialogue between : Cardinal Mazarin and Marie Mancini

-
You are nothing but insolent, Mademoiselle, and you are not yet queen. I can even assure you that you will never be as long as I am alive, because I would rather kill you with my own hands. Soon the Court will travel to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where the King will meet his future wife. But you, who are still my niece and over whom I have full power, will leave tomorrow morning for Brouage with your sisters, and Madame de Venel will have orders to keep you there on sight!

Suddenly sober, Marie cried out in pain:

- No, uncle, I beg you, not that! Don't take me away! I couldn't bear it!

- I had to put up with you and your impudence! I said you'd leave, and you'll leave tomorrow! Go out now and pack your trunks!

There was no coming back. Marie, in tears, threw herself into Louis' arms and begged him to save her. But Louis was well aware that the Cardinal had all the power over his niece, a power that even the King could not break, because he represented the power of the father. He understood that he had to resign himself.



[ creation © Frédérique Aznag Zabée ]

The following day, 22 June 1659, Louis, who had no intention of hiding his tears, led Marie to the carriage waiting in the courtyard of the Louvre. She got in without a word and, as the young man, in the pain he felt at parting from her, leaned over the door to see her again, she grudgingly said to him: "Ah, Sire!

- Ah, Sire! You are King, you are weeping... and I am leaving!

Louis shook his head ruefully. But as he threw himself back to let the carriage go, Marie ripped off his lace cuff and shouted:

"I've been abandoned!




[ creation © Frédérique Aznag Zabée ]


Some of the ladies mentioned in the Novel:

Top row: The sisters Olympe and Marie Mancini, Ninon de Lenclos.
Bottom row: Madame, Henriette d'Engleterre, sister-in-law of Louis XIV, Louise de La Vallière, Princesse des Ursins.

 







 
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