François Adhémar de Monteil, Comte de Grignan was a French aristocrat, remembered chiefly for being Lieutenant-Governor of Provence and the beloved son-in-law of Madame de Sévigne.
Background
François de Castellane-Ornano-Adhémar de Monteil de Grignan was born in Provençal village of Grignan in 1632. At the death of his father, on 4 August 1668, he inherited the title of Count of Grignan. He was married three times, first to Angélique-Claire d"Angennes, daughter of the Marquis de Rambouillet.
Career
He was the eldest of 11 children. While still young, he engaged upon a military career. In 1654, he became colonel of the Champagne Regiment.
Two years later, he became Captaine-Lieutenant of the soldiers of the Household Cavalry of Queen Anne of Austria.
They had two daughters. Angélique died in 1665.
One year later, Grignan married Marie-Angélique du Puy-du-Fou who died shortly after giving birth to a son, who died in infancy. As a 36-year-old twice-widower, he met and fell in love with the 23-year-old daughter of the illustrious Madame de Sévigné, Françoise-Marguerite de Sévigné.
Grignan, was indeed remarkably ugly (his ugliness being a frequent family joke), yet tall, graceful, athletic, and charming.
That same year, Louis XIV named Grignan the lieutenant general of the King in Provence. Grignan was thus obliged to leave Paris and return to his family castle in the south of France. Foreign nearly forty years afterward, he and Madame de Grignan lived an extravagant vice-regal existence in Provence.
Every year, he presided at the opening of the Etats at Lambesc, seated on a throne-like chair with the Archbishop of Aix on his right and the Intendant of Provence on his left.
In 1673, Grignan laid siege to the city of Orange, reclaiming the territory for France. Louis XIV upon hearing the news of Grignan"s victory, was heard remarking at dinner "Je suis fort content de Grignan (I am very happy with Grignan)."
M. de Grignan died at the age of 83 in an inn on the road from Lambesc to Marseilles.
He was buried in Marseilles in the Chapelle de notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel.