Concino Concini, 1st Marquis d'Ancre (23 November 1569 – 24 April 1617), was an Italian politician, best known for being a minister of

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

, as the

favourite A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated s ...

of Louis's mother, Marie de Medici, Queen of France. In 1617 he was killed on the behest of the King.

First minister

A Florentine nobleman, Concini was born in the capital city of the

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

(23 November 1569). He went to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

with

Maria de Medici Marie de' Medici (french: link=no, Marie de Médicis, it, link=no, Maria de' Medici; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV of France of the House of Bourbon, and Regent of the Kingdom ...

, wife of

Henri IV Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...

, in the year 1600. The queen's lady-in-waiting,

Leonora Dori Leonora Dori Galigaï (19 May 1568 – 8 July 1617) was a French courtier of Italian origin, an influential favourite of the French regent Marie de' Medici, mother of King Louis XIII of France. Galigaï was married to Concino Concini, the later m ...

, known as "Galigaï", having already been his wife. It is generally thought that the favour his wife enjoyed with the queen, combined with his wit and boldness, contributed to make Concini's fortune. In 1610, he purchased the marquisate of Ancre and the position of First Gentleman-in-waiting. Then he obtained successively the governments of

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

and of

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, governor of Péronne, Roye and Montdidier and, in 1613, the baton of

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

. From then first minister of the realm, he abandoned the policy of Henri IV, compromised his wise legislation, allowed the treasury to be pillaged, and drew upon himself the hatred of all classes. The nobles were bitterly hostile to him, particularly Henry II de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, with whom he negotiated the Treaty of Loudun in 1616, and whom he had arrested in September 1616. This was done on the advice of

Cardinal de Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

, whose introduction into politics was favoured by Concini.

Rise to power

Concini's political power did not commence as early as 1610. From 1610 to 1614, he and his wife settled for expanding their fortune via Galigaï's close relation with the queen. As the queen's closest adviser she and her husband were financially rewarded. With this wealth Concini established himself the marquisate of Ancre in 1610 and three years later in 1613 a marshal's baton. During these years however, most of the political power remained in the hands of minister Nicolas de Neufville de Villeroy. Between 1614 and 1616 his political influence expanded, being involved in Spanish marriages and his interference with rebelling princes. In 1615 we can see an increase in criticism towards Concini in the spread of negative pamphlets. Since the Peace of Loudun we can see Concini wielding a true political power over the French kingdom. The couple aimed to strengthen royal authority by disbanding Henry IV's old ministers and having the prince of Condé incarcerated. A new ministry was formed with Claude Mangot as

keeper of the seals The title keeper of the seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the great seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular cabinet or ministerial offic ...

, Claude Barbin as minister of finance and

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu (; 9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a French clergyman and statesman. He was also known as ''l'Éminence rouge'', or "the Red Eminence", a term derived from the ...

as foreign minister.

Assassination

By 1617,

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

, incited by his favourite

Charles de Luynes Charles d'Albert, Duke of Luynes (, 5 August 1578 – 15 December 1621) was a French courtier and a favourite of Louis XIII. In 1619, the king made him Duke of Luynes and a Peer of France, and in 1621, Constable of France. Luynes died of sc ...

, was tired of Concini's tutelage. Nicolas de L'Hôpital, as head of the royal guards, received in the King's name the order to imprison him. Bericht Mareschal d'Ancre 1617 Bild

According to some authors, young Louis XIII agreed that Concini could be killed if he resisted. Apprehended on the bridge of the Louvre castle, Concini was killed by guards after allegedly calling out "À moi !" ("To me!") for help, which was interpreted as resistance. The action was the result of a secret plot organised by Louis XIII king of France and

, which was then executed by the Baron of Vitry. Concini had to be eliminated because he was perceived by Louis XIII as a menace—a powerful politician, having a personal army of 7,000 soldiers and important supporters and contacts among the aristocrats of France. After his murder, the Queen Mother was ordered to retire to Blois. Concini's wife,

, was arrested, imprisoned in

Blois Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours. With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...

and accused of

sorcery Sorcery may refer to: * Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces ** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities * Magic in fiction, ...

. She was

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...

and her body subsequently

burned at the stake Death by burning (also known as immolation) is an execution and murder method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment f ...

on July 8 of the same year in Place de Grève, Paris.Discovrs svr la mort dee Eleonor Galligay Femme de Conchine Marquis d'Ancre : Executee en Greue le Samedy 8.de juillet. 1617
/ref> Concini's son, Henry, born in 1605, fled France and died in 1631 in Florence. The Concinis' chattels and estates, in particular the castle of Lésigny and the palace of Rue de Tournon, were confiscated by King Louis XIII and given to

. In 1617–1618, many rumours and pamphlets were distributed in Paris to justify Concini’s murder.

Historiography

In 1767, D. Sandellius published at

Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and '' comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...

, ''De Concini vita'', On the role of Concini, see the ''Histoire de France'', published under the direction of

Ernest Lavisse Ernest Lavisse (; 17 December 184218 August 1922) was a French historian. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Biography He was born at Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, Aisne. In 1865 he obtained a fellowship in history, and ...

, vol. vi. (1905), by Mariejol.

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20070324141816/http://www.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/cmh/cmh404.html *https://web.archive.org/web/20060811120545/http://www.bartleby.com/65/ma/MariedeM.html *https://web.archive.org/web/20070324141816/http://www.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/camenaref/cmh/cmh404.html *https://web.archive.org/web/20120205154045/http://www.h-france.net/vol5reviews/kettering2.html *http://www.baroque.it/personaggi/luigiXIII.htm *http://cronologia.leonardo.it/storia/aa1610.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20070928001351/http://www.materialismo.it/Sintesi%20libri/ministoria_della_censura.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Concini, Concino Marshals of France French royal favourites 1569 births 1617 deaths Politicians from Florence Louis XIII Italian people murdered abroad People murdered in Paris 16th-century Italian politicians 17th-century Italian politicians Court of Louis XIII Murder in 1617 Emigrants from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to France