Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Diane de Poitiers pwätyāˈ [key], 1499–1566, duchess of Valentinois, mistress of King Henry II of France. Noted for her beauty, Diane, who was much older than Henry, retained her influence over hi...

(Encyclopedia) Alain de Lille älăNˈ də lēl [key], c.1128–c.1202, French scholastic philosopher, a Cistercian, honored by his contemporaries as the Universal Doctor. He was born in Lille; he taught at Paris an...

(Encyclopedia) Brèche de Roland brĕsh də rôläNˈ [key], narrow gorge (alt. 9,200 ft/2,804 m), Hautes-Pyrénées dept., SW France, in the Pyrenees. It leads into the Cirque de Gavarnie, a natural amphitheater. A...

(Encyclopedia) Córdoba, Fernández de. For persons thus named, use Fernández de Córdoba.

(Encyclopedia) De Vos. For persons thus named, use Vos.

(Encyclopedia) Witt, Jan de yän [key], 1625–72, Dutch statesman. Like his father, Jacob de Witt, burgomaster of Dort, he became a leading opponent of the house of Orange and played a vital role in the three succe...

(Encyclopedia) Sacrobosco, Johannes de yōhänˈəs də săkrōbŏsˈkō [key], or John of Hollywood, c.1200–1256, English mathematician and astronomer. He wrote several widely read and influential books: Algorism...

(Encyclopedia) Cormenin, Louis Marie de La Haye, vicomte de lwē märēˈ də lä ā vēkôNtˈ də kôrmənăNˈ [key], 1788–1868, French politician, jurist, and pamphleteer. He held minor offices under Napoleon,...