So a few days ago, while I was choosing the book that would accompany me for a week in my library, running into the old faux-leather cover of the Cardinal's biography, I had no doubts, I would have re-read a book, as if for the first time!
Richelieu, to the century Armando Giovanni du Plessis, duke of Richelieu, was born in Richelieu, in Poitou, the 9 September 1585.
In the early years the young Richelieu, was a boy of poor health. He was educated at home until the age of nine, then attended the college of Navarre and then the Military Academy. A few years later, his brother Alfonso refused the bishopric of Lucon, which had long been the prerogative of the Richelieu family; Armando, then seventeen, took the ball and jumped into the study of theology to become a bishop.
At the age of twenty-one he became a bishop, he also completed his academic studies and went to Rome to live school of life. Thanks to his intelligence he quickly enters the grace of Pope Paul V.
The chance meeting between Richelieu and the nobleman Francesco Leclerc du Tremblay (who will be known as gray eminence), became Capuchin despite the wishes of the family, gave birth to an inseparable and winning couple, who would face together the vicissitudes of the time guiding France of Louis XIII through wars and court intrigues to bring him to the creation of a new France.
The life of Richelieu and the court intrigues are masterfully told in the book also often making parallels with the most famous book "The three musketeers" by Dumas and with previous biographies among them a certainly interesting one that I hope to be able to read about Aldous Huxley.
A last sentence from Richelieu struck me for its strength and for the value it has maintained over time: "Being rigorous towards private individuals who make themselves a glory of despising the laws and ordinances of the State, means doing the public good ".
Beautiful biography, to read for those who want to better understand the origins of today's Europe.
Alessandro Rugolo
