René de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson

René de Voyer de Paulmy, comte d'Argenson (1596 - 1651, Venice) was a French diplomat.

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Family

He was the grandson of René de Voyer, seigneur de Paulmy et de la Roche de Gennes, and of Jeanne Gueffault, dame d'Argenson. His father, Pierre, was the head of the comtes d'Argenson branch of the family.

Life

His first post was as councillor to the parlement de Paris, then as intendant of the army during the siege of La Rochelle, intendant de justice to the army of the Dauphiné, surintendant of Poitou, ambassador, etc.

He was put in charge of several diplomatic negotiations by cardinal de Richelieu then by cardinal Mazarin, notably the annexation of part of Catalonia in 1641 during the Catalan Revolt. Having become a priest a few days before his death, he died in Venice, where his eldest son Marc-René de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson (1623-1700) had followed him as French ambassador. He was buried in the church of San Giobbe in the city, with a tomb by Thomas Blanchet. Among his other six children were Pierre de Voyer d'Argenson, vicomte de Mouzay, governor general of New France.

Works

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