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Marie-Christine de Lalaing, or Philippe-Christine de Lalaing, was the daughter of Count Charles II of Lalaing and Marie de Montmorency-Nivelle. She was married to Pierre de Melun, the governor of Tournai. In the absence of her husband, she defended the city of Tournai against Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, in 1581. [1]
In the middle of the 16th Century, Calvinist preachers garnered large support in Tournai, despite the efforts of Philip II of Spain to eradicate the movement. In 1576, the States General of the Netherlands appointed Pierre de Melun as governor of Tournai. Having left Tournai to attack Gravelines, de Melun entrusted the defense of Tournai to his lieutenant and to his wife, Marie-Christine de Lalaing. Shortly after his departure, the Prince of Orange was warned that Farnese would attack the city, despite the coming winter. When the Army of Flanders arrived at the city, Marie-Christine de Lalaing rallied her troops in a speech: "It's me, the wife of your governor who is now marching into war, risking his own life, in service of his country. Follow my example: I would rather give up my life than abandon my country." She was injured in the resistance. [1]
Alexander Farnese was an Italian noble and condottiero, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592, as well as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592. As a general of the Spanish army during the Dutch revolt, Farnese captured more than thirty towns in what is now Belgium between 1581 and 1587 and returned them to the control of Habsburg Spain. During the French Wars of Religion he relieved Paris for the Catholic League.
Marie Anne de La Trémoille, princesse des Ursins, was a French courtier and royal favourite known for her political influence, being a de facto ruler of Spain from 1701 until 1714. She spent most of her life as an agent of French influence abroad, at first in Rome, and then in Spain under the new Bourbon dynasty, followed by a final period at the exiled Stuart court in Rome. She played a central role in the Spanish royal court during the first years of the reign of Philip V, until she was ousted from the country following a power struggle with the new queen consort, Elisabeth Farnese.
Margaret was Duchess of Parma from 1547 to 1586 as the wife of Duke Ottavio Farnese and Governor of the Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 and from 1578 to 1582. She was the illegitimate daughter of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Johanna Maria van der Gheynst. She had briefly been Duchess of Florence from 1536 to 1537 by her first marriage to Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence.
The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza was an Italian state created in 1545 and located in northern Italy, in the current region of Emilia-Romagna.
Maria Anna Christine Victoria of Bavaria was Dauphine of France by marriage to Louis, Grand Dauphin, son and heir of Louis XIV. She was known as la Grande Dauphine. The Dauphine was regarded a "pathetic" figure at the court of France, isolated and unappreciated due to the perception that she was dull, unattractive and sickly. She is the ancestor of all Spanish monarchs following her son Philip V.
The Battle of Gembloux took place at Gembloux, near Namur, Low Countries, between the Spanish forces led by Don John of Austria, Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands, and a rebel army composed of Dutch, Flemish, English, Scottish, German, French, and Walloon soldiers under Antoine de Goignies, during the Eighty Years' War.
Christine Marie of France was Duchess of Savoy from 26 July 1630 to 7 October 1637 as the consort of Duke Victor Amadeus I. She was the daughter of Henry IV of France and sister of Louis XIII. Following her husband's death in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648.
Margaret Yolande of Savoy was Princess of Savoy from birth and later Duchess consort of Parma. A proposed bride for her first cousin Louis XIV of France, she later married Ranuccio Farnese, son of the late Odoardo Farnese and Margherita de' Medici. She died in childbirth in 1663.
François Marie de Lorraine was a French nobleman and member of the House of Lorraine. He was known as the prince de Lillebonne. He was also the Duke of Joyeuse.
Élisabeth of Lorraine was a French noblewoman and the Princess of Epinoy by marriage. She is often styled as the princesse de Lillebonne. She was the mother of Louis de Melun, Duke of Joyeuse and of Anne Julie de Melun, princesse de Soubise.
Robert de Melun, viscount of Ghent and marquis of Roubaix, was a nobleman from the Low Countries who fought in the Eighty Years' War.
Lamoral, 1st Prince of Ligne was a diplomat in the 17th century.
The Tournaisis, or Tournai, a territory in the Low Countries in present-day Belgium, is one of Europe's oldest town centres. Located in the Wallonia region of Belgium on the Scheldt River, northwest of Mons, Tournai residents are primarily French-speaking. It is home to some of the oldest and best preserved medieval architecture in Europe, notably the Cathédrale Notre Dame and the Belfry of Tournai, a belltower built in 1188, both of which are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. The River Scheldt's access to the sea made Tournai a trading hub in the Middle Ages.
Charles II of Lalaing was Count of Lalaing, Lord of Escornaix and stadtholder of the County of Hainaut.
Emanuel Filibert van Lalaing was a noble and army commander from the Low Countries.
The de Lalaingfamily is a noble family from the south of Flanders which played an important role in the history of the County of Hainaut and of the Netherlands. The current family belongs to the Belgian nobility.
The Treaty of Arras of 17 May 1579 was a peace treaty concluded between the Spanish Crown, represented by Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, and representatives of the County of Hainaut, the County of Artois, and the cities of Douai, Lille, Orchies and Arras, all members of the Union of Arras, that had been formed on the 6 January 1579.
Pierre de Melun, prince of Espinoy, marquis of Richebourg, baron of Antoing, etc., was a nobleman in the Low Countries during the Dutch Revolt who took the side of the rebels against Philip II of Spain.
The Grand-Place is the main square and the centre of activity of Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium. The square has a triangular shape, owing it to the convergence of several ancient roads, and it covers 7,500 m2 (81,000 sq ft).