Global InformationJean de Vivonne information
Jean de Vivonne seigneur de Saint-Gouard marquis de Pisani | |
|---|---|
 Bust of the marquis de Pisani | |
| 11th French Ambassador to Spain | |
| French Ambassador to Spain | |
| In office February 1572 – August 1582 | |
| Preceded by | Baron de Fourquevaux |
| Succeeded by | Sieur de Longlée |
| French Ambassador to the Papal States | |
| In office March 1585 – 25 July 1585 | |
| Preceded by | Paul de Foix |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| French Ambassador to the Papal States | |
| In office 19 August 1586 – 26 May 1589 | |
| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1530 Aunis |
| Died | 7 October 1599 Saint-Maur |
| Spouses | Julia Savelli |
| Children | Catherine de Vivonne |
| Parents |
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Jean de Vivonne, seigneur de Saint-Gouard and marquis de Pisani (c. 1530–7 October 1599) was a French soldier, governor, courtier and diplomat during the final years of the Italian Wars and throughout the French Wars of Religion. Starting his military service at the age of 15, he participated in the siege of Mariembourg in 1554 against the Imperial (Holy Roman) forces, and was briefly made captive. He then fought in several campaigns in Italia under the leading commanders of the day before the peace of 1559. In the first French War of Religion he fought at the climactic battle of Dreux. In the coming years he would participate in the major battles of Saint-Denis, Jarnac and Moncontour. In 1571 he received a break in his recognition when he gained stature through a mission he conducted to the Papal States that secured the release of a French subject condemned by the inquisition, succeeding through an audacious and aggressive style in intimidating the Pope.
The following year, Saint-Gouard was chosen to replace the long serving ambassador to España the baron de Fourquevaux. He was confronted immediately by several crises in relations between France and España, chief among them covert French involvement in the rebellion against Spanish rule in Nederland. Saint-Gouard fruitlessly tried to convince king Felipe II of the innocence of the French crown in the affair. He faced much anger in España after the French candidate for the throne of the Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), the king's brother the duc d'Anjou bested the Spanish candidate. A little while later the French king died and was succeeded by the duc d'Anjou who took the name Henri III. On his return to France, Henri was confronted by a new civil war which would involve the rebellion of his brother the duc d'Alençon. Alençon dispatched an agent to the Spanish court to negotiate with Felipe. Saint-Gouard tried to frustrate the agents negotiations, largely unsuccessfully. Efforts to convince Felipe of French good intentions in Spanish Nederland would continue in the late 1570s, and would become more complex as Alençon increasingly involved himself in the territory. This would culminate in 1580 with the princes establishment as a replacement king for Felipe in the rebel held territory. Saint-Gouard assured Felipe Henri opposed Alençon's designs in Nederland. Relations between the two countries would be most seriously tested in the crisis of Portuguese succession after the death of the king without heir. Felipe asserted his rights to the crown, and invaded Portugal, establishing himself in Lisboa. Saint-Gouard intrigued to frustrate Felipe's hold on the kingdom without success. He met with the king in Lisboa and increasingly weared on the king and his advisers. This climaxed after the French crown sent an expedition to seize the Açores in 1582. That same year he was relieved of his responsibilities in España after ten years, ending his residency by trying to engineer the torching of the Spanish fleet in Lisboa.
Back in France, Saint-Gouard was rewarded with induction into the king's new most senior chivalric order and the post of governor of Saintonge in 1583. When the following year the ambassador to the Papal States, Paul de Foix died, Saint-Gouard was chosen to replace him. Arriving in the territory in March 1585 he enjoyed a combative relationship with the new pope, Sixtus V. This culminated in his expulsion from the Papal States after he vigorously supported his king's decision to refuse to receive the new Papal Nuncio. His return would be facilitated in 1586, and as a reward for his services, Henri erected the marquisate of Pisani in his favour. Over the following years he would defend his king against challenges to his Catholicity, and push the Pope to condemn the resurgent Catholic Ligue (League) which had re-emerged after the death of Alençon with Henri's heir now a Protestant, an unacceptable state of affairs to the members. The crisis between the French crown and the Catholic ligue would explode in December 1588 with the assassination of the duc de Guise, leader of the ligue and his brother the cardinal de Guise. The Pope was enraged that a cardinal had been murdered. Pisani and his ally the cardinal de Joyeuse would desperately try to stop the Pope employing radical action against Henri. However, after Henri entered into alliance with his Protestant heir, Sixtus issued a monitoire threatening to excommunicate Henri unless certain conditions were met. At this time Pisani withdrew from Roma. After the assassination of Henri III and succession of the king of Navarre as Henri IV, Pisani would be among the royalist Catholics who stood by the Protestant king. He received a final further honour in 1596 when he was made the governor of the heir to the French throne the prince de Condé. He died three years later, leaving his lands to his daughter, the celebrated marquise de Rambouillet.