Pierre de Bourdeille (Brantôme)

Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur et abbé de Brantôme (Known as "Brantôme")

Soldier, Courtier, Chronicler of Valois Renaissance Court, Lives of Illustrious Ladies

Born c. 1540

Périgord, France

Passed Away Jul 15, 1614 Château de Richemont (Brantôme, Dordogne), Kingdom of France

Lifespan 74 years old

1 views

Notice / Correction

"In the theater of the court, virtue is a mask, but passion and ambition are the real actors."

Archival Overview

French soldier, courtier, and unabashed memoirist whose scandalous, vivid chronicles Vies des dames galantes and Vies des grands capitaines captured the intrigues, duels, and amorous escapades of the Valois Renaissance court.

Biographical Record

Appointed titular abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Brantôme by King Henry II, Bourdeille served as a gentleman soldier, accompanying Mary Queen of Scots to Scotland in 1561 and fighting in the French Wars of Religion and at the Siege of Malta (1565).

A severe fall from a rearing horse in 1584 left him crippled and confined to his Château de Richemont. Taking up his pen during thirty years of retirement, Brantôme composed candid, irreverent portraits of Catherine de' Medici, Marguerite de Valois, and Renaissance commanders, preserving the colorful human reality behind royal pageantry.

Memorial Guestbook & Tributes

0 messages recorded

Leave a Respectful Tribute

Select a sentiment or reaction (optional):

Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

Your Name / Title *

Your Email (Private, for anti-abuse)

Tribute Message *

No tributes recorded yet. Be the first to leave a message in honor of Pierre de Bourdeille (Brantôme).

Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Château de Richemont Chapel
Brantôme en Périgord (Dordogne), France

                         GPS: 45.3617, 0.6500                    

View on Memory Atlas

Archival Standards PastLegacies adheres to strict neutral biographical guidelines and legal standards of remembrance. Next-of-kin may request modifications or removal at any time via our expedited process.

Read Governance Policy →