Giulio Mazzarino was the son of the Major-domo of a Sicilian
Prince .who joined the papal diplomatic service where
he was favorably noticed by Cardinal Richelieu (September 9). After
Mazzarino was
appointed as papal Nuncio to France, Richelieu appointed Giulio his personal secretary, and
he was soon elected as Cardinal, even though
he was not a priest. To secure his political future in France,
Giulio Mazzarino
changed his name to Jules Mazarin.
When Queen Anne appointed Mazarin as First Minister after
Richelieu's death and allegedly made him her lover. Mazarin led the Thirty
Years' War, crushed the Nobles' revolt (Fronde), and defeated
Spain, thereby providing France with th secure boarders. However,
Mazarin also milked the French Treasury to come the richest man in
Europe.
Mazarin was a noted collector
of art and jewels, particularly diamonds, and he bequeathed the "Mazarin
diamonds" to Louis XIV in 1661, some of which remain in the collection
of the Louvre museum in Paris. His personal library was the origin of
the Bibliotheque Mazarine in Paris.
Unfortunately,
Giulio Mazzarino'
s tastes were not as uncompromising as Richelieu's, although he was responsible for introducing opera to France. Jules was so
a dandy, spending thousands of livre on his perfumes, which he
doused over himself and his pet monkey. He still used the name Mazzarini on all documents sent to
Rome to maintain his "Italianess" since his ultimate goal was to be
elected Pope; a goal he almost achieved. Although Mazarin bribed the
Spanish Cardinals to vote for him after Alexander VII's death, Mazarin
died before the Pope
Mazarin tr
ied very hard to copy Richelieu's aesthetics and even had a
variation of the Richelieu cookie perfected and named after him (Mazarins).
Mazarins
differ from Richelieu's, primarily by substituting a chocolate almond filling
instead of Richelieu's beloved frangipani.
|
|
|