Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Mazarin, Jules zhül mäzärăNˈ [key], 1602–61, French statesman, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, b. Italy. His original name was Giulio Mazarini. After serving in the papal army and diplom...

(Encyclopedia) Polignac, Jules Armand, prince de zhül ärmäNˈ prăNs də pôlēnyäkˈ [key], 1780–1847, French statesman. Belonging to one of the oldest families of France, he emigrated with them during the Fr...

(Encyclopedia) Grand Alliance, War of the, 1688–97, war between France and a coalition of European powers, known as the League of Augsburg (and, after 1689, as the Grand Alliance). Louis XIV of France took advanta...

(Encyclopedia) Fronde frôNd [key], 1648–53, series of outbreaks during the minority of King Louis XIV, caused by the efforts of the Parlement of Paris (the chief judiciary body) to limit the growing authority of ...

(Encyclopedia) Machault d'Arnouville, Jean Baptiste de zhäN bätēstˈ də mäshōˈ därno͞ovēlˈ [key], 1701–94, French statesman. He held a succession of government offices and was (1743–45) intendant of V...

(Encyclopedia) Caffieri Fr. käfyārēˈ, Ital. käf-fyāˈrē [key], French family of artists. Philippe Caffieri, 1634–1716, left Italy to enter the service of Louis XIV at the Gobelin factory. He and a son, Jacq...

(Encyclopedia) Charles of Valois välwäˈ [key], 1270–1325, French prince and military leader, third son of Philip III and father of Philip VI. He dominated the reign in France of his nephew Louis X. On the excom...

(Encyclopedia) Torre, Joe (Joseph Paul Torre, Jr.), 1940–, American baseball player and manager, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Torre first played major league ball as a catcher for the Milwaukee Braves (1960–68), then moved...

(Encyclopedia) Unser, Al (Alfred Unser, Sr.) ŭnˈsər [key] 1939–2021, American automobile racing driver, b. Albuquerque, ...

(Encyclopedia) Vestris, Gaetan gäātäNˈ vĕsˈtrēs [key], 1729–1808, Italian-French classical dancer, b. Florence. Vestris was one of the greatest dancers of the 18th cent. Born of an Italian theatrical family...