In this blog article, you will meet some of the important and interesting people who have trod the grounds in Vincennes. As it happens, they lived or passed through Vincennes and left an imprint on Vincennes and had an effect on the world. And another way of seeing a place is to see who these people were and what they did. What better way to let them live again than to talk about them, making them less invisible.
Soon after, the place starts to take on a personality when you know about these people. From that point on, it is no longer just a place with some buildings. Interestingly, people lived for all different reasons and purposes. You will find some of them buried in the cemetery of Vincennes. Let’s see who they were.
Government, Military
Jules Mazarin
-(1602-1661), born in Abruzzi, Italy, was the chief minister for the regent Anne from Austria at the death of Louis XIII in 1643 and became governor of the Vincennes castle in 1652. Further he remained minister for the young king Louis XIV (at the Vincennes castle) when he became king in June 1654. He died after a long illness at the Vincennes castle, the 9th of March 1661 having been a man who served the French monarchy more than most anyone but hated by many. Ultimately, the king inherited Mazarin’s fortune of 35 million pounds. Finally, Louis XIV abolished the position of premier minister after Mazarin’s death and he became an absolute monarch.
Pierre Daumesnil
-(1776-1832). One of Napoleon’s important generals. His statue is in front of the town hall, “rue de Marigny”. Pierre Daumesnil, became a general in Napoleon’s army during the First Empire and the Restoration period. He had lost his leg in a previous battle. Moreover, Napoleon was grateful to Daumesnil for saving his life two times.
Having been made protector of Vincennes in 1812 and then, governor of Vincennes, he defended and held the Vincennes fort against the coalition (Austria, Prussia, Russia and Sweden). In 1814, despite the insistence of a Russian envoy, he refused to surrender the Vincennes fortress, even after the abdication of Napoleon. Once again in 1815, Daumesnil refused to give up the Vincennes fortress to the Prussians. Later, he was promoted to Lieutenant General in February of 1831. On the 17th of August 1832, he died of cholera in Vincennes. In the Vincennes cemetery, a commemorative pyramidal column was put up at his tomb in 1834.
Marshal Ferdinand Foch
-(1851-1929), supreme commander of the Allied forces and military theorist. Additionally, he signed the armistice at the end of the First World War (November 11, 1918), and was made a British field marshal in 1919. Moreover, he taught military history, strategy and general tactics at the war college from 1885 and was the French theorist on offensive strategies. Avenue Marigny, now Avenue Foch in Vincennes was his home near the end of the 19th century. He died on March 20th1929 and was buried in Les Invalides next to Napoleon and other French soldiers. If you want to know more go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Foch
General Henri Descoins
-(1869-1930), descendant of the painter Henry Eugène Delacroix on his mother’s side (her brother), was a brigadier general and a military writer. Interestingly, he played a role in the founding of Albania. To add to that, he is the author of numerous studies on horseback riding and the military. Ultimately, he died in Algiers the 10th of May 1930 and is buried in the Vincennes cemetery
Literature, Poetry, Music, Cinema, Theater.
Alfred Victor de Vigny
-(1797-1863) coming from a military family, he was a military officer at Vincennes and later wrote about Vincennes, having been a witness of an explosion August 17, 1819. He was a writer of novels, a playwright and a poet belonging to the romantic movement. He also apparently contributed to the historical novel.
Hector Berlioz
(1803-1869) stayed in Vincennes not far from the royal park after his marriage with Harriet Simpson. He was a romantic composer and a well-known conductor. Who hasn’t heard some of his music? One of his more famous pieces is “Symphonie Fantastique” dedicated to Nicolas 1er of Russia. A little music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HgqPpjIH5c
Henri Plessis
-(1839-1907), was a lyric singer, and a comedian in cabarets and the theater. Interestingly, he was a well-known imitator of Napoleon Bonaparte. And it is difficult to find a lot of information on him. After retiring in Vincennes in 1906, he died in Vincennes in November 1907 and is buried in the Vincennes cemetery.
Maxime Villemer
-(alias Anne Violet Francey) (1841-1923) was a prolific writer and novelist of serialized novels at a time when it was difficult for women writers. She also published in “The Petit Journal”. Interestingly, her novels were published under the pseudonym, Maxime Villemer. Although she is one of the most prolific, it is difficult to find much biographical information about her.
She died on the 27th of April 1923 and is buried in Vincennes. Unfortunately, she is hardly remembered as is the case for many women from that era. Many women took on a male pseudonym to get their work published. https://data.bnf.fr/fr/12731976/maxime_villemer/
Jacques Bainville
He was a historian, and was born rue de Fontenay the 9th of February 1879 and died in 1936. The house he lived in, rue de Fontenay has a commemorative plaque on it. Importantly, the famous “Academie Française” – guardian of the French language – received him as a member.
Charles Pathé
-(1863-1957) (family in Vincennes since 1865) made Vincennes world famous capital of cinema, where he founded workshops (film manufacturing) and a film recording studio in 1896. (Eastman-Kodak bought Pathé in 1927 and became Kodak-Pathé.) Vincennes was the center of the film industry until the middle of the 20th century. He is buried in the Vincennes cemetery.
André Brunot
– was born in 1879, and lived in Vincennes from 1939 until he died in 1973. His career at the “Comedie Française” (state theater created in 1680 by Louis XIV) started in 1903. Then, he became “sociétaire” in 1910, and was “doyen” from 1939 to 1944 (the “doyen” is responsible for upholding the values, principles and practices). Moreover, he starred in more than 20 films. (his plaque is at 54, avenue de Paris).
Jean Rochefort
– actor, lived in Vincennes during the 1940s and died in 2017. He had a long career and made a lot of films from 1956 to 2015 and played a lot in the theater from 1953 to 2007. Remarkably, he won many awards including three César awards.
Even a Healer,
Jean Sempé
–mystical healer born in 1818. and died on the 9th of January 1892 in Vincennes, having moved there in 1883. Through the writings of his biographer, Abbot Julio, he became known. He supposedly miraculously healed numerous sick people without asking for money. To this day many come to visit his grave.
And what’s next?
Of course, they are many more, but I didn’t want to make it too long. The town is a popular place to live, and currently there are several actors, musicians, etc. living in Vincennes. For the America festival every two years, the town hosts writers for at least three months. The next one is in September 2026.
Soon more blog articles…. What about Vincennes’ sister city in the US? And what about those who stayed in the prison? The next article could be anything. It will be a surprise.
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