Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Balzac, Jean Louis Guez de

(Encyclopedia)Balzac, Jean Louis Guez de də bälzäkˈ [key], 1597?–1654, French writer. His Lettres (1624, tr. 1634) and other writings were a great influence in reforming French prose. Their style was marked ...

Anne of Brittany

(Encyclopedia)Anne of Brittany, 1477–1514, queen of France as consort of Charles VIII from 1491 to 1498 and consort of Louis XII from 1499 until her death. The daughter of Duke Francis II of Brittany, she was hei...

Daubenton, Louis Jean Marie

(Encyclopedia)Daubenton, Louis Jean Marie lwē zhäN märēˈ dōbäNtôNˈ [key], 1716–1800, French naturalist. He was a professor at the Collège de France from 1778; his work touched many fields—comparative ...

Anne of Austria

(Encyclopedia)Anne of Austria, 1601–66, queen of France, daughter of King Philip III of Spain. Married to the French king Louis XIII (1615), she was neglected by her husband and sought the society of the court in...

Garnier, Jean Louis Charles

(Encyclopedia)Garnier, Jean Louis Charles gärnyāˈ [key], 1825–98, French architect, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and won the Grand Prix de Rome (1848). He was awarded the commission for the Opéra in ...

Retz, Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de

(Encyclopedia)Retz, Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de zhäN fräNswäˈ pōl də gôNdēˈ, də rĕts [key], 1613–79, French prelate and political leader. He was made (1643) coadjutor to his uncle, the ar...

Dunois, Jean, comte de

(Encyclopedia)Dunois, Jean, comte de zhäN kôNt də dünwäˈ [key], c.1403–1468, French general, called the Bastard of Orléans; natural son of Louis, duc d'Orléans. He joined the Armagnacs in the civil war du...

Concorde, Place de la

(Encyclopedia)Concorde, Place de la pläs də lä kôNkôrdˈ [key], large square, Paris, France. It is bounded by the Tuileries gardens; the Champs Élysées; the Seine River; and a facade of buildings divided by ...

Cap de la Madeleine

(Encyclopedia)Cap de la Madeleine käp də lä mädlĕnˈ [key], city, S Que., Canada, at the confluence of the St. Maurice and St....

Browse by Subject