Description:

Armand Jean du Plessis Cardinal Richelieu
Paris, France, May 23, 1627
Cardinal Richelieu 1627 MDS Preparing For War! Wheat Stores at Catholic-Controlled Brouage Fort, Strategically Located Near La Rochelle, 4 Months Before Siege of Protestant Port Began
MDS
A 3pp manuscript document in French (and one line of Latin) signed by Armand Jean de Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) at the conclusion of the document as: "Armand Card De Richelieu." May 23, 1627. Paris, France. Secretarially inscribed on watermarked laid bifold paper. Counter-signed by three other unidentified French officials underneath Richelieu's signature. Docketed on page 1 in the upper left margin. Expected wear including flattened folds, toning, foxing, and edge darkening. Chipped edges and a minor area of loss located at the gutter. Else very good to near fine. 8.625" x 13.5."

This document concerns a "rendre compte" - an accounting - of grain food stores kept at the French fort at Brouage. (Richelieu served as governor of Brouage in addition to being premier of France, as well as a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church.) It mentions both merchants ("vendeurs") and merchandise ("merchandise") in the city, and there is a discussion of tons of wheat ("thonneau de bled") and the fort stores ("Magasins du fort"). Was Richelieu ensuring that Brouage was adequately provisioned in advance of the Siege of La Rochelle, just four months in the future? He would certainly rely on Brouage as an important strategic base and staging ground, as the city was located just 35 km south of La Rochelle.

Brouage (present day Hiers-Brouage) was a marshy outpost near the Bay of Biscay, in the Charente-Maritime region of southwestern France, first established in 1555. In 1627, ramparts were added to the town of about 4,000 inhabitants, and protected by a permanent garrison of between 500 - 2,000 soldiers. Cardinal Richelieu built up the fort at Brouage a few years after the Siege of La Rochelle, perhaps in acknowledgment of the important role Brouage had played in securing the submission of the rebellious city. Between 1630-1640, the French engineer Pierre d'Argencourt oversaw construction of a classic star fortress, or citadel. The new and improved fort at Brouage was outfitted with watchtowers, a curtain wall, food stores, forges, an arsenal and powder magazines, as well as a hospital.

Brouage and La Rochelle were a study of interesting contrasts. La Rochelle was one of the most populous cites in France during the early seventeenth century, with an estimated 30,000 inhabitants; Brouage had just a fraction of this. The economy in Brouage, like that of its neighbor La Rochelle, was based on maritime trade and salt export, but La Rochelle was extremely wealthy and one of the most important ports in the nation. The most fundamental difference between the two cities, however, was religious affiliation. La Rochelle had been a Protestant stronghold since the French Wars of Religion, and because of this, it was also a center of political resistance. Brouage had flipped back and forth during the years but it was declared a Catholic-controlled "royal city" in 1578, a designation signaling that it was of too much strategic importance to lose to the Protestants.

Just four months after signing this document, Cardinal Richelieu would serve as siege commander in what would become one of his most brilliant military victories: the unconditional surrender of La Rochelle after a bloody, protracted siege. Catholic royal forces faced off against the insurgent Huguenots over the course of 14 months, from early 1627 and late October 1628. Foreign parties - Catholic Spaniards and Protestant English - also played a role in the grueling conflict. When the siege fell in late 1628, La Rochelle had lost an estimated 80% of its population due to war, famine, and disease. Cardinal Richelieu had succeeded in subjugating the city at great cost.

Cardinal Richelieu - "The Red Eminence" - swiftly ascended the ranks of both church and state. He served as Chief Minister to French King Louis XIII between 1624 and his death in 1642.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8.625" x 13.5"
  • Medium: MDS

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