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Gaston d'Orléans
1608-1660
Historical FigurePatron
The younger brother and lifelong rival of Louis XIII, Gaston d'Orléans spent his life plotting against those in power. The third son of Henri IV, he was heir presumptive to the throne until the birth of the future Louis XIV in 1638.
Opposed to Richelieu's centralization of power and involved in every intrigue of the reign, he played an ambiguous role during the Fronde before being exiled to Blois, in the Loire Valley, after the fall of Paris in 1652.
At Blois, he had François Mansart build a classical wing that was never completed. A great collector, he left Louis XIV his artworks, medals, and botanical collections.
