Madame de Sévigné and her little guts

Aix Ursulines

The Ursulines were nuns who moved in Aix in the 17th century, ordered by mother du Châtel, saint Jeanne de Chantal's friend... famous writer Mrs. de Sévigné’s grandmother!

In 1647, the convent and the chapel were raised. Bishop de Senez consecrated them 4 years later.

And besides, Mrs. de Sévigné’s granddaughters, Pauline and Marie-Blanche de Grignan, who were nuns here, were buried in the chapel.

Mrs. de Sévigné’s granddaughters

Aah, Mrs de Sévigné loved her granddaughters... She was worried about Marie-Blanche, she dearly nicknamed "her little guts".

This young lady wasn’t pretty and she deceived her mother Mrs. de Grignan. This one wanted a son... So, she sent her to the convent! Sooner would be better: Marie was 5 years old when she entered in Aix Ursulines!

Mrs. de Sévigné often wrote to Marie’s mother, her own daughter, to tell her about her worries: "I have my heart tight about my granddaughter, she would be desperate to leave you because she’s in jail, as she told me."

"The poor child! Have pity for her", she said to her daughter.

Then Mrs. de Grignan wanted to send her second daughter in the Ursulines, Pauline. Oooo, a real obsession!

But Mrs. de Sévigné rose up: "Are you going to put your other daughter, Pauline, in the convent? This child is a real wonder: her spirit is her dowry. Do you want to transform her into a common person? I don’t want to see her in that convent, that would be a waste."

But Pauline went to the convent... Then, later, she became Mrs. de Simiane with her marriage with Lois de Simiane de Claret, a respectable nobleman, Provence general lieutenant.

She passed away in Aix, at 61 years old. Marie-Blanche died in 1735, she was 65 years old: she never left the Ursulines...