The Château de Chenonceau is a French château spanning the river Cher, near the small village of Chenonceaux, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire. It is one of the best-known châteaux of the Loire Valley.
The Académie Française, also known as the French Academy, is the principal French council for matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution, it was restored as a division of the Institut de France in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is the oldest of the five académies of the institute. The body has the duty of acting as an official authority on the language; it is tasked with publishing an official dictionary of the language.
Louis Charles César Le Tellier, Duke of Estrées was a French military commander and Marshal of France.
Abbot Jean-Jacques Barthélemy was a French clergyman, archaeologist, numismatologist and scholar who became the first person to decipher an extinct language. He deciphered the Palmyrene alphabet in 1754 and the Phoenician alphabet in 1758.
Jean Léon Marie Delumeau was a French historian specializing in the history of the Catholic Church, and author of several books regarding the subject. He held the Chair of the History of Religious Mentalities (1975–1994) at the Collège de France and was a member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres.
Jean-Marie Rouart is a French novelist, essayist and journalist. He was elected to the Académie française on 18 December 1997.
Charles II, Duke of Elbeuf, was a French nobleman, the son of Charles I, Duke of Elbeuf, by his wife, Marguerite de Chabot. He succeeded his father in the Elbeuf dukedom in 1605.
Jean-Joseph Languet de Gergy was a Catholic French bishop and theologian. He was first bishop of Soissons and then archbishop of Sens. He was a member of the Académie française.
François-Annibal d'Estrées, duc d'Estrées was a French diplomat, soldier and Marshal of France.
Jean d'Estrées, Count of Estrées, was a Marshal of France, and an important naval commander of Louis XIV. He was born into a noble family from Picardy. His aunt was Gabrielle d'Estrées, a mistress of King Henry IV of France.
César d'Estrées was a French diplomat and cardinal.
Vice-Admiral Victor Marie d'Estrées, 5th Duke of Estrées was a French military officer, politician and nobleman. Born in Paris, he was made a Marshal of France and was subsequently known as the "Maréchal d'Estrées".
Jules de Clérambault was a French ecclesiastic and Abbot of Saint-Taurin d’Évreux.
Germain Habert de Cérisy was a French churchman and poet. He was abbot of Saint-Vigor.
Jean-François de Chamillart was a French churchman. The brother of the contrôleur général des finances Michel de Chamillart, Jean-François served as the abbot of the Fontgombault Abbey, and of Baume-les-Messieurs Abbey, as count and bishop of Dol (1692-1702), and then as bishop of Senlis (1702–14).
Henri de Nesmond was a French churchman, bishop of Montauban, archbishop of Albi and archbishop of Toulouse.
Honorat de Porchères Laugier was a French poet. He was born in Forcalquier. He is most notable for his sonnet on the beautiful eyes of Gabrielle d'Estrées and for being a founder member of the Académie française. He is sometimes called Honoré de Porchères Laugier.
Catherine Henriette de Bourbon was an illegitimate daughter of King Henry IV of France and his long-term maîtresse en titre Gabrielle d'Estrées. She was declared legitimate on 17 November 1596 at the Abbey of St. Ouen in Rouen and married into the Princely House of Guise.
Henri Jacques Nompar de Caumont, 5th Duke of La Force was a French nobleman and peer, the son of Jacques-Nompar II de Caumont, duc de La Force and Suzanne de Beringhen. He was a member of the Académie française.
Roger Chauviré was a French writer, winner of the 1933 edition of the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française.
