Cardinal Jules Mazarin
Italian-born and trained in papal diplomacy, Giulio Mazzarini entered French service under Richelieu, was naturalised and made a cardinal in 1641, and became first minister under the regent Anne of Austria following Richelieu's death in 1642 — effectively governing France through Louis XIV's entire childhood. He survived the Fronde (1648–1653) — a series of interlocking noble and parliamentary revolts that twice forced him into exile — through a combination of tactical retreats, lavish bribery, cultivation of Anne's personal loyalty, and patient exploitation of divisions among the Frondeurs. His diplomacy produced France's two defining mid-century settlements: the Peace of Westphalia (1648), which gave France Alsace and confirmed its role as guarantor of German liberties, and the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), which ended the Franco-Spanish war, established France as the dominant continental power, and secured the marriage of Louis XIV to the Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa — whose renounced dynastic claims Mazarin carefully structured to be legally challengeable. He amassed the largest private fortune and art collection in Europe, which he bequeathed to the French crown and the Collège Mazarin (now the Institut de France); his death on 9 March 1661 was the immediate trigger for Louis XIV's announcement that he would rule personally.
- Lived: 1602 CE – 1661 CE
- Nationality: french
- Roles: cardinal, prime minister, regent
