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Nicolas FouquetFrench statesman
Date of Birth: 01.01.1615
Country:  France |
Content:
- Nicolas Fouquet, French Statesman
- Superintendent of Finance
- Lavish Lifestyle and Intrigues
- Downfall
- Arrest and Imprisonment
- Trial and Sentence
- Later Life and Death
- Legacy
Nicolas Fouquet, French Statesman
Early Life and CareerNicolas Fouquet, a prominent French statesman, was born into a family of parliamentary advisors in Brittany. He held positions as intendant in Dauphiné, Catalonia, Flanders, and Paris during the Fronde rebellion. In Paris, he aided the government against the parliament, preventing the confiscation of Cardinal Mazarin's property and facilitating his return.
Superintendent of Finance
In 1650, Fouquet purchased the office of Chief Prosecutor of the Paris Parliament. Mazarin appointed him Superintendent of Finance in 1653. His tenure was marked by financial mismanagement and embezzlement. Initially restrained by his co-superintendent Servien, Fouquet's extravagance spiraled after Servien's death in 1659. He issued warrants for payments from nonexistent funds, which were sold at a loss to financiers who gained immense profits, sharing a significant portion with Fouquet. To cover expenses, he resorted to high-interest loans, often concealing the principal amount with inflated reports. Creditors included major financiers, Mazarin, and Fouquet's own entourage.
Lavish Lifestyle and Intrigues
From 1654 onward, Fouquet ceased recording income, squandering vast sums on lavish residences, feasts, mistresses, and espionage. He built the magnificent Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, emulating the future grandeur of Louis XIV's Versailles. He patronized artists and writers, including Le Brun, Le Nôtre, Molière, and La Fontaine.
Downfall
Relations between Fouquet and Mazarin soured towards the latter's end. Fouquet aspired to power after Mazarin's death while simultaneously plotting against potential prosecution. He fortified Belle-Île-en-Mer and devised a resistance plan with his supporters. Amidst growing discontent and his wealth, Fouquet was accused of embezzlement and conspiracy.
Arrest and Imprisonment
On September 5, 1661, during a lavish party honoring the king at Vaux-le-Vicomte, Fouquet was arrested by Lieutenant d'Artagnan and imprisoned in the Château de Vincennes and later transferred to the Bastille. His property was seized, and Belle-Île-en-Mer surrendered without resistance.
Trial and Sentence
Fouquet's trial lasted three years, with his adversaries, Segnier and Talon, playing key roles. Initially, the public supported the arrest, but the protracted trial and bias of his enemies turned opinion in his favor. Despite pleas for clemency, King Louis XIV remained unmoved. In December 1664, a majority of the judges sentenced Fouquet to perpetual banishment and confiscation of assets. The king, considering this sentence too lenient, replaced perpetual banishment with life imprisonment.
Later Life and Death
Fouquet was transferred to the Château de Pignerol, where he spent the remaining 15 years of his life in solitary confinement. His conditions gradually improved, and he was briefly reunited with his family in 1679. In 1680, the king considered granting him leave for health reasons when news of his death reached the court.
Legacy
The identification of Fouquet with the legendary Iron Mask has no credible basis. His coat of arms depicted a squirrel climbing, with the motto "Quo non ascendam?" (Where shall I not ascend?). In the Breton dialect, "fouquet" means squirrel.
