Laure de Noves
Little is known about her other than she was born in 1310 in Avignon to the Knight Audibert of Noves and was married at fifteen to Hugues I de Sade. Poet Francesco Petrarch saw her at Good Friday mass in the Eglise Sainte-Claire d’Avignon and was spellbound. For three years he would find her walks and at church and write endless poems praising her
Statue by Auguste Louis Marie Ottin
Commissioned in 1846, finished in 1846
Marie de Medicis
26 April 1575 - 3 July 1642
Born in Florence to Francois I de Medicis and Joan of Austria who died when she was just two years old. Her father remarried and they would both die when she was ten years old. Uncle Ferdinand I, Duc of Tuscany watched over her and when Henri IV of France came knocking, a marriage was arranged. Ending the debt that France owed the Medicis family and hoping to bring an heir to the throne. Ten years later on May 13, 1610 Marie was finally crowned queen of France at the Basilique Saint Denis, the next day Henri IV would be killed in the streets of Paris. Their son, Louis XIII was only eight years old leaving Marie as regent until he was old enough. However, Marie wasn’t too quick to release the power of the throne and held on until Louis XIII staged a coup and took them back at sixteen. Marie was banished from Paris and stayed in the Chateau de Blois until she escaped out a window. Eventually she made it back to Paris and continued to build her Florentine palace in the Luxembourg until her son yet again intervened. Stopping on the way to Germany she fell into a trap set by Louis XIII who then stripped her of her title and power. She never returned to Paris or saw the completion of her beloved palace. For more Marie make sure to stop in the Musée du Louvre and make your way to the Richelieu wing to see Peter Paul Rubens twenty four paintings of her life.
Statue by Louis Denis Cailloueté
Commissioned in 1844, finished in 1847
Marguerite d’Angouleme
11 April 1492 - 21 December 1549
Older sister to Francois I and daughter of Louis de Savoie was intended to marry Henry VIII of England, but thankfully that didn’t go through. Louis XII decreed that she was to marry Charles IV of Alencon, a marriage that only lasted a few short years. Next up was Henri II of Navarre in 1526 which was followed by the birth of Jeanne d’Albret, future mother of Henri IV. Marguerite spent most of her time at court with her brother, transforming it from the medieval court to the monarchy we know of today. With the heavy influence of the Italian Renaissance, art, culture and music was now a staple in the Palais du Louvre.
Statue by Joseph Stanislas Lescorne
Commissioned in 1845, finished in 1846
Valentine de Milan
1370 - 4 December 1408
Born in Milan to Glan Visconti of Mila she was married off to Louis I, duc de Orleans. Close relatives as they often were then, they had to have the Pope sign off on the marriage. A celebration was held in Milan and France on April 8, 1837 but she wouldn’t join her husband for two more years. On August 17, 1389 in Melun they were finally united and eight children followed. On November 23, 1407 Louis I was murdered on Rue Saint Antoine by fifteen men wielding axes. Three days later it was discovered his cousin Jean sans Peur, Duc of Burgundy was behind the killing. It would be the start of the civil war between the court of Burgundy and the French royal family that would last 28 years. Valentine died a year later, never getting the justice she wanted for her husband.
Statue by Victor Huguenin
Commissioned in 1843, finished in 1846
Anne de Beaujeu
3 April 1461 - 14 November 1522
Daughter of Louis XI and Charlotte de Savoie would serve as regent to her younger brother Charles VII who her father called “feeble minded”. In 1473 at twelve years old she married Peter II de Bourbon who was thirty-five at the time. As regent she was also the teacher of the royal children that included Diane de Poitiers and Louis de Savoie. A keen sense of diplomacy she helped negotiate the ending of the Guerre Folle and was considered the most powerful woman in Europe.
Statue by Jacques Edouard Gatteaux
Commissioned in 1844, finished in 1847
Blanche de Castile
4 March 1188 - 27 November 1252
Born in Castille, her father king Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England who was the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor decided Blanche was the most regal looking and in the 1200 Peace Treaty it was added that Blanche would marry the son of Philippe Auguste, Louis VIII. In 1214 she gave birth to Louis IX and devoted her entire life to him. At just twelve years old when his father died, Blanche served as regent, with an iron fist. Louis and his mother were very close, raising him to be pious, devoted to the church and teaching him to respect his role as king. It would change a bit when Marguerite de Provence joined the family.
Statue by Honoré Jean Aristide Husson
Commissioned in 1843, finished in 1847
Anne d’Autriche
22 September 1601 - 29 January 1666
The infanta of Spain and eldest daughter of king Philip II of Spain and Marguerite d'Autriche, a branch of the House of Habsburg was raised in a very religious chateau. At eleven years old she was betrothed to Louis XIII and the two were married when she was fourteen. Their wedding night included his mother Marie de Medicis standing over the bed waiting for them to consummate the wedding but it wouldn’t happen for quite some time. Miscarriages and stillbirths followed and drew Anne to the church. In 1634 she commissioned the building of the Val-de-Grace abbey and church dedicated to the Virgin and came with a prayer that she finally give birth to an heir. On September 5, 1638, Louis XIV after a rather stormy night in Paris in December 1637. Although some historians argue the true father is Cardinal Mazarin. Louis XIV treated his mother like a queen giving her anything she wanted up until her death in 1666.
Statue by Joseph Marius Ramus
Commissioned in 1846, finished in 1847
Anne de Bretagne
25 January 1477 - 9 January 1514
Oldest child of Francis II of Brittany was an orphan by eleven years old but holding onto the estates of Brittany. In December 1490 it was decided she would marry Maximillian I of Austria, but when word reached Charles VIII of France he raced to Rennes. Beginning a two month siege until the city fell and a treaty was reached that included ending the uniting of Anne and Maximillian. Anne and Charles were engaged on November 17, 1491 angering Austria and a quick and secret wedding was planned. However, Pope Innocent VIII wouldn’t recognize the nuptials since they were fourth cousins and wouldn’t sign off until February 15, 1492. Charles died in 1498 after hitting his head on a doorway and a clause in their marriage contract stipulated that if Charles died she must marry his successor. Louis XI was already married and an annulment would need to be reached. By November 7, 1499 Louis XI and Anne were married and two surviving children followed.
Statue by Jean Debay
Commissioned in 1844, finished in 1846
Marguerite de Provence
Spring 1221 - 20 December 1295
Oldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, count of Provence and Beatrice de Savoie, her three sisters would become the queens of Sicily, England and Germany. In 1233 Blanche de Castile sent a knight to Provence to see this young girl whose beauty and devotion to the church was well known. At thirteen on May 27 1234 Marguerite and Louis IX at the Cathedral de Sens. Marguerite and Louis were very close spending all their time reading and riding horses which made Blanche very jealous. Traveling to Egypt with Louis in 1249 when he was captured she was able to gather enough money to have him released at the same time as giving birth. In 1270, Louis IX ded on crusade in Tunis leaving her son Philipe III with the throne. Marguerite died on December 20, 1295 at 74 years old and was buried near her husband at the Basilique Saint Denis. Her grave had only a small marking and without a statue allowing her to be the only tomb to escape the desecration during the Revolution.
Statue by Honoré Jean Aristide Husson
Commissioned in 1843, finished in 1847
Sainte Clotilde
473 - 545
Daughter of Burgundian king Chiperic II who would send her at just eleven years old around France as his ambassador. Clovis, king of the Franks heard about her and asked for her hand. As a very devout Catholic she tried endlessly to convert Clovis but he resisted until the Battle of Tolbiac. Praying to the “God of Clotilde” he promised if they were victorious he would become Catholic. On Christmas day in Notre Dame de Reims among 500 of his soldiers he was baptized. Clotilde was very close with Geneviève and she and Clovis had an abbey built at the top of Mons Luctitus.After the death of Clovis in 511, Clotilde spent her remaining years writing about the life of Geneviève, and it is due to Clotilde that we know the story of the Patron Saint of Paris.
Statue by Jean Baptiste Jules Klagmann
Commissioned in 1845, finished in 1847