Olympia Mancini
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Olympia Mancini, in France Olympe Mancini (1638 — 9 October 1708) was the second of five famous Mancini sisters, nieces of Cardinal Mazarin; she was also the mother of the famous general Prince Eugene of Savoy.
Olympia Mancini grew up in Rome. Her father was baron Michele Lorenzo Mancini. After his death in 1650, her mother, Geronima, brought her daughters from Rome to Paris in hopes of using Cardinal Mazarin's influence to gain them advantageous marriages. It is possible that prior to her marriage, she was briefly the mistress of Louis XIV.
Olympia was married on February 21, 1657 to Prince Eugène-Maurice of Savoy-Carignano (1633-1673), by whom she had eight children, amongst whom the famous soldier Prince Eugene of Savoy.
The Mancini sisters were:
- Laura or Victoire, the eldest, who married Louis II de Bourbon-Vendôme, the duc de Vendôme, heir to Henri IV's legitimized natural son.
- Marie Mancini, the third sister, was considered the least beautiful of the sisters but she snagged the biggest prize of all: Louis XIV. He was so besotted with her that he wanted to marry her. In the end he was made to give her up and she married Prince Colonna who remarked that he was surprised to find her a virgin as one does not expect to find 'innocence among the loves of kings'. (from Antonia Fraser's book Love and Louis XIV)
- Hortense Mancini, the beauty of the family, born 1646, escaped an abusive husband and went to London, where Charles II was her lover.
- The youngest sister Marie Anne Mancini (1649-1714) married a nephew of Turenne.
The Mancinis were not the only female family members whom Cardinal Mazarin brought to the French court. The others were two cousins, daughters of Mazarin's eldest sister: Laura and Anna Maria. Altogether the girls were referred to as the Mazarinettes. The Mancini also had three brothers.
[edit] Intrigues
Olympia was an intriguer of the first order. First, she allied herself with Henrietta Anne, Duchess of Orléans, sister-in-law and lover of Louis XIV. She is also said to have introduced Louise de La Vallière to the King, but to have turned against her after the King fell in love with Louise at the expense of Henrietta Anne.
[edit] The Poison affair
Olympia was accused in 1679 in the Poison affair to have plotted with La Voisin to poison Louise de La Vallière. She is even said to have threatened the King himself to "come back to me, or you will be sorry". Olympia was also suspected of poisoning her own husband, and Queen Maria Luisa of Spain, niece of Louis XIV.
On January 23, 1680, she was asked to leave the court; she moved to Brussels, claiming her innocence. Now and then she traveled to Spain and England with her two sisters Marie and Hortense. In Brussels she supported musicians Pietro Antonio Fiocco and Henry Desmarest. She died in Brussels October 9, 1708.
[edit] References
- Mazzarino, Martinozzi and Mancini: Genealogy (Hortense Mancini is omitted.)
