Death of Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet was the Superintendent of France from 1653 until 1661, under King Louis XIV.
He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous wealth.
In 1653, Nicolas Fouquet became the great treasurer of the kingdom of France.
The holder of this high position had to meet the daily requirements of the state, which had been living on credit.
The royal finances were in a disastrous state, due to many years of war under Cardinals Richelieu.
In 1641, the 26-year old Fouquet purchased the manor of Vaux~le~Vicomte.
He spent enormous sums of money, over a period of 20 years building a château on his estate.
In terms of its size, magnificence and interior decor, the chateau was the inspiration for the Palace of Versailles.
On 17th August 1661 to celebrate the opening of his sumptous new château ‘Vaux~le~Vicomte’, Nicolas Fouquet decided to hold a lavish soirée.
What followed was a gala dinner with 30 buffets served on golden dinnerware for hundreds of members of the court.
There was a theatre, a ballet, raffles with extravagant prizes, firework displays, and stage performances.
The guest of honor, King Louis XIV, was apalled.
Only at royal festivities or significant triumphs were pyrotechnics permitted, and Fouquet had two firework displays that lit up the night sky!
The King felt humiliated and intimidated by the event’s pomp and extravagant wealth.
The king started to believe that Fouquet was yearning for the throne.
But Fouquet’s career came to an unexpected end, after he put on the beautiful party, now known as ‘Fouquet’s Fall Day’ today.
One day, the king was presented with an allegation that Fouquet had purchased and fortified the domain of Belle-Île, a French island off the coast of Brittany.
A spy disguised as a merchant, returned with the news and that Fouquet did indeed have a garrison of 200 men ~ and a formidable arsenal of 400 cannons, and 3 or 4 warships.
Louis XIV decided to arrest Fouquet immediately.
Fouquet was arrested by d’Artagnan, lieutenant of the king’s musketeers.
It is reported that the arrest took Fouquet completely by surprise, because he apparently thought that he was very much in the king’s good graces.
He was taken into custody six weeks after the Vaux-le-Vicomte party.
Fouquet was charged with embezzling state money for his own gain, misdeeds in the administration of royal finances, misuse of public funds, and committing high treason by the purchase of Belle-Île without the king’s authorization.
Finally, after a three-year trial, the judges handed down a life sentence for Fouquet.
The Sun King had the artwork, tapestries, and even the trees from Fauquet’s Vaux-le-Vicomte château, moved to his court.
For 26 years, Nicolas Fouquet was imprisoned in the Pignerol Fort.
While waiting for his release, he died there on 23rd March 1680.
Although no death certificate was established, he is said to have died of apoplexy following a long illness.
Fouquet was initially buried in the local church, Saint Claire de Pignerol.
However, a year after his death, his remains were moved to the unmarked family crypt in the Temple du Marais, Paris.
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