Isabelle de Limeuil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Isabelle de Limeuil
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Portrait of Isabelle de Limeuil
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| Born |
Isabelle de la Tour
c. 1535 |
| Died | 25 March 1609 (age 74) Paris, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Maid of Honour |
| Known for | Member of Catherine de' Medici's "Flying Squadron" |
| Title | Lady of Limeuil Madame Sardiny Viscountess of Buzancy Baroness of Chaumont-sur-Loire |
| Spouse(s) | Scipion Sardini, Viscount de Buzancy and Baron of Chaumont-sur-Loire |
| Children | Nicolas Sardini Alexandre-Paul Sardini, Viscount of Buzancy and Baron of Chaumont-sur-Loire Paul Sardini Madeleine Sardini |
Isabelle de la Tour, Lady of Limeuil (c. 1535 – 25 March 1609) was a French noblewoman and a Maid of Honour to the Queen Mother Catherine de' Medici. She also formed part of Catherine's notorious "flying squadron" (L'escadron volant), a group of female spies she used for extracting information from various powerful men at the French court which would then be passed on to her. In about 1562 at Catherine's instigation, she became the mistress of Louis, Prince of Condé, brother of King Antoine of Navarre and one of the leading Huguenots in France. Two years later when Isabelle created a scandal by giving birth to his son whilst the court was on a royal progress, she was banished to a convent.
She later married wealthy Tuscan banker Scipion Sardini, a favoured protégé of Catherine de' Medici.
Family
Isabelle was born in Limeuil, France in about 1535, a daughter of Gilles de la Tour, Viscount of Turenne, Baron of Limeuil and Marguerite de la Cropte, Lady of Lanquais. She went to live at the court of King Charles IX where she became one of queen mother Catherine de' Medici's Maids of Honour. Isabelle was distantly related to Catherine through the latter's French mother, Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne.
Flying Squadron
Isabelle's outstanding good looks caught the attention of the Queen Mother who invited her to join her elite "flying squadron" (L'escadron volant), a group of attractive and talented female spies who were recruited to extract information from powerful men at Court which would then be passed on to Catherine and used as political leverage by the latter. They took active roles in Catherine's fantastic spectacles and magnificent entertainments which were regularly put on for the benefit of the court.
Among Isabelle's "victims" were Claude, Duke of Aumale (a member of the House of Guise, who were Catherine's greatest rivals), Florimond Robertet (Catherine's secretary and a Guise associate), Louis, Prince of Condé (a prominent Huguenot, who was also the brother of King Antoine of Navarre, and Antoine was the husband of Queen Jeanne of Navarre, another implacable adversary of Catherine and the political leader of the French Huguenot movement).
Much to Catherine's satisfaction, Condé fell passionately in love with Isabelle. However, her dominance over him came to an end in May 1564 when she gave birth to his son in the Queen Mother's chamber at Dijon while the court was on a royal progress. The scandal threw Catherine into a rage. Catherine angrily dismissed her from court. Isabelle was forced to enter a convent in Auxonne.
Marriage and issue
Isabelle was eventually allowed to leave the convent and in 1567 at the age of approximately 32 she married one of Catherine's protégés. He was Scipion Sardini, a wealthy banker originally from Catherine's native Tuscany. Upon her marriage, Isabelle was styled "Madame Sardiny". She and her husband made their home at the "Hôtel Scipion", Sardini's mansion on the Rue Scipion in Paris which he had built in 1565.
Sardini was ennobled by Charles IX who created him "Viscount of Buzancy". This made Isabelle by marriage the "Viscountess of Buzancy".
She bore her husband three sons and a daughter:
- Nicolas Sardini, Siegneur de Prunay
- Alexander-Paul Sardini (1574-1645), Baron of Chaumont-sur-Loire, Viscount of Buzancy; left descendants
- Paul Sardini (died 1667); left descendants
- Madeleine Sardini
In 1600, the viscount purchased the Château de Chaumont whose previous owners included Catherine de' Medici and Diane de Poitiers. Isabelle and her husband, however chose to live at the Hôtel Scipion. Sardini was given the title of "Baron of Chaumont-sur-Loire" which was passed on to their second eldest son, Alexander-Paul upon his death.
Death and legacy
Isabelle died in Paris on 25 March 1609 and was buried in Chaumont-sur-Loire the following 1 April. Sardini died the same year.
She featured in Honoré de Balzac's satirical tale, La Chière nuictée d'amour in which her husband was the central character.
Sources
