The Grande Mademoiselle | ©Public domainWell, we know this lady! We met her in the neighbouring castle of St-Fargeau, do you remember? I mean of course the Grande Mademoiselle, Louis XIV’s famous cousin!
She was Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orléans, exiled here in Burgundy by cardinal Mazarin because she made a mess during the Fronde rebellion: the naughty one shot on royal troops with cannons of Bastille stronghold!
So, in 1652, she came in St-Fargeau in exile. She get soooo bored and tried to bring together a small court. But it wasn’t the same!
So in 1653, she left St-Fargeau after the death of one of her lady-in-waiting, countess de Fiesques.
So she turned up in Ratilly, and, according to her Memories, it was as gloomy as in St-Fargeau: “The house is so small, so I host few people. I have no carriage here. I go to the Mass every morning by foot, which is a pretty long road! I hunt hares with the greyhounds belonging to local gentlemen.” Whoa, that’s a good start!
