Jean Francois Paul De Gondi De Retz

Jean Francois Paul de Gondi de Retz was a French churchman, memoirist, and Fronde agitator. Catherine de' Medici introduced the Florentine banking and noble Gondi family to France; in 1573, Catherine offered Jérome (Girolamo) de Gondi the château that he converted into the Château de Saint-Cloud; his hotel in Paris' Faubourg Saint-Germain became the Hôtel de Condé in the following generation. The Gondi gained large holdings in Brittany and became associated with the kingdom's most prominent...See more

Jean Francois Paul de Gondi de Retz was a French churchman, memoirist, and Fronde agitator. Catherine de' Medici introduced the Florentine banking and noble Gondi family to France; in 1573, Catherine offered Jérome (Girolamo) de Gondi the château that he converted into the Château de Saint-Cloud; his hotel in Paris' Faubourg Saint-Germain became the Hôtel de Condé in the following generation. The Gondi gained large holdings in Brittany and became associated with the kingdom's most prominent houses. Jean-François de Gondi was born in Montmirail, Brie, northern France. He was his family's third son, and Tallemant des Réaux claims that he was made a knight of Malta on the same day he was born. The loss of his second brother, however, destined him for a closer relationship with the Church. The Retz side of his family had a lot of religious influence, and although though young Jean-François wasn't really interested in the clergy, his family urged on him joining. They claimed he lacked the appearance of a soldier, being short, nearsighted, unattractive, and awkward. See less