Jules Mazarin

Italian-French ecclesiastic, a Roman Catholic priest, Cardinal and royal minister of Louis XIII, Anne of Austria and Louis XIV. Continuing the work of Cardinal Richelieu, Mazarin worked to establish France’s supremacy among the powers of Europe.

Born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino, his father, Pietro, was a Romanized Sicilian in the household of the constable Fillippo I Colonna. His mother, Ortensia Bufalini, was from a noble Tuscan family. He had one brother and four sisters, and even as a child, he recognized that having powerful patrons was an advantage in life. Mazarin attended Jesuit School in Rome, where he excelled, and he went on to study law at the University at Alcalá de Henares. In 1624, he obtained a captaincy in the papal army.

On 25 December 1624, he had an unusual mystical experience that profoundly affected his life. He entered the diplomatic service, and in 1628, was appointed secretary to the papal legate of Milan, G. F. Sacchetti, where he finally had the opportunity to play an active role in politics.

In January 1630, he was sent to France where he met Cardinal Richelieu. Fascinated by the powerful man, Mazarin resolved to devote his life to him. Later that year, on 26 October 1630, he gained an international reputation when he bravely rode between opposing armies about to engage in battle, risking his life in an effort to stop the fighting. Although completely dedicated to Richelieu, he obtained the patronage of Cardinal Barberini who made him an ambassador to the French court from 1634-36. He left the papal service to enter the service of France in 1640 and was given his cardinal’s hat by the Pope on 16 December 1641.

Mazarin’s ambition was to end the rivalry between the Catholic powers of Europe, and he was instrumental in bringing about the Peace of Westphalia in October 1648, a settlement that established peace in Germany. By the 1650s, however, the Fronde revolts were in full force due to his attempts to raise taxes and centralize policy.