The downfall of a great man . . . And a contest winner!!

Dearest Readers,

I've been discussing one of the most beautiful and infamous mansions in the 17th century.  Vaux-le-Vicomte was the very chateau that inspired King Louis XIV to build the magnificent Palace of Versailles.

Its original owner was one of the most powerful men of his day--Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of  Finance.  For those who missed the history behind Vaux and Fouquet, you can read Part I and Part II.

At the end of Part II, I mentioned Nicolas Fouquet was arrested on charges of embezzlement of Crown funds on Louis XIV's 23rd birthday.  Fouquet had usurped power and had more influence than the young King.  He'd become quite popular in the realm--while most had written Louis off, believing he'd never become any kind of real monarch.  (Oh, how wrong they were!)

Louis wasn't going to just sit back and watch his throne slip away from him. There was no evidence that an actual rebellion was afoot. But since no one took the King seriously, and Fouquet held the country's purse strings, Louis must have wondered how much longer before Fouquet would run the entire country--not just the finances.

It isn't easy toppling the mighty. 

Louis had to be patient and shrewd.  He had Colbert, a civil servant who despised the Superintendent of Finance, review Fouquet's accounting ledgers and report the malpractices he found.  Moreover, for his plan against Fouquet to work, the King had to convince him to quit his parliamentary position.  Why?  Because if Fouquet was arrested while still a member of parliament, he'd be judged by his peers---other members of parliament.  And Fouquet had way too many friends there.  Louis wanted him judged by a panel of judges that he'd selected.

Certainly, if the King picked the judges, there was sure to be a favorable outcome for Louis in the end. Right?

Well, kind of.

No one expected what happened.  Not even the judges themselves!

Louis XIV seated with Colbert by his side--to his left in black.

 A Trial That Wouldn't End.

Fouquet did indeed give up his position in parliament, as the King requested--though this didn't remove him from his powerful post as Superintendent of Finance.  He never expected the King, who'd spent most of his time focused on his ballets, and his mistress, to ever be a threat to him.  To ever plot against him and order his arrest.

He was quite surprised when he found himself detained and later in a courtroom, defending his innocence.  What surprised and irked the King was how eloquent and convincing Fouquet was in a courtroom.  He was, after all, a former lawyer.  Fouquet had the courtroom captivated and at times, even charmed.

Fouquet was a patron of the arts.  Writers, dramatists and poets wrote poems and sang songs outside the courthouse each day, praising Fouquet and protesting against the charges against him.

The painting above depicting Fouquet's trial. The trial was a long drawn-out process that lasted three years!


The Verdict At Last! 

In December 1664, Fouquet's fate was finally decided. Above is a list of the judges and how they voted at his trial (click on image for a larger view). The judges on the left-hand side voted for death. The judges on the right voted for perpetual banishment. As you can see, the sentence of banishment won out. But Louis intervened and changed it to perpetual imprisonment.  Having expected the sentence of death, he never imagined they'd let Fouquet just walk.  The King stated that a man who knew so many state secrets couldn't simply be set free.

Fouquet was sent to a prison in northern Italy.  His young wife was devastated.  He spent the remaining twelve years of his life there, mostly in solitary confinement. The King confiscated the furniture, art and orange trees at Vaux and ignored Fouquet's many letters asking for forgiveness. It wasn't until the final years of his life that the King permitted Fouquet visitors--his wife and son.

Nicolas Fouquet died in prison at age 65.  For a man who had climbed so high, who had women and wealth, influence and prominence...he lost all his glory and disappeared in history.

But not his spectacular chateau.

Vaux-le-Vicomte sits south-east of Paris, still as beautiful as ever.


A DiPasqua Mishap at Vaux!

The table below is one of only two pieces of furniture original to Fouquet's time.  See the marble barrier around the table?

 Well, my youngest daughter, who was only six at the time, and I were marveling at the beauty of the table during our visit to Vaux.  The room was crowded with tourists moving about.  My daughter took a step, forgetting that the small barrier was there and lost her balance.  Yup, you guessed it . . she started to fall---toward the table!  Her arms shot out, a purely reflexive reaction, and her little hands were about to collide with the priceless statue on top.

I swear my heart stopped in those few seconds.

I caught her around the waist just in the nick of time and kept her from not just falling, but knocking that statue right off! Can you imagine?  I could just read the headlines now....Lila DiPasqua's daughter breaks irreplaceable 350 year old artifact.

Luckily, my daughter didn't fall and injure herself, the statue is still in one piece---and we're still allowed back in Vaux. *smiles* 



Last but not least....We have a winner!

The winner of my January/February Contest is:
                                                                   

cbandy10

Congratulations!

Email me HERE with a mailing address. 

New book trailer for THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED!!!

I was beginning to think this book trailer would never get done.  So many things derailed its completion. But the end results, I believe, made it worth the wait!!  I LOVE it.  A great big thank you to my awesome, totally creative brother.  *muah*  I love you!  Now if only I could get him to actually read a romance novel. *smiles*

Let me know what you think!  Fiery Tales, or what?  ;)

The winner of the Valentine Giveaway---A lovely glass heart-shaped necklace is:

Marquita Valentine. 

Congrats!

Contact me HERE with a mailing address.  If the email doesn't work, you can contact me through my website. :)


Dearest readers,

Have you entered my January / February contest?  It isn't too late.  The details on how you can win four fabulous *signed* books are found HERE.  Or you can click on the yummy guy at the top right-hand corner of this blog.  ;)

Nicolas Fouquet at age 46, just before his arrest.

Because I'll be a guest blogging at both Unusual Historicals and Ex Libris  on Wednesday Feb. 23rd, I'm postponing my post on Nicolas Fouquet's fate.  His trial lasted three years....and ended in a way no one expected. 

Not even the presiding judges!!  

Come back on Friday Feb. 25th to learn what happened to the third most powerful man in all of Europe--Nicolas Fouquet.

OH WOW! What an amazing Valentine's Day gift!!!

Dearest readers,

I just found out that my debut novel, AWAKENED BY A KISS, finaled in the Australian Romance Readers Awards for 2010! 

Check out the wonderful company I'm in HERE!  Thank you to ARRA and all who voted for AWAKENED BY A KISS!!

Don't forget to check out my latest post on the infamous French chateau, Vaux-le-Vicomte. I'm offering a lovely Valentine's Day GIVEAWAY for one lucky commenter! I just love that beautiful heart-shaped glass necklace!! It looks even better in person...or on your person. ;)  Oh, and in the post I reveal a couple of secrets about me!

The contest closes Friday Feb. 18th at 11:59 pm EST.

Revealing the Secrets of a Mansion II

Earlier this week I started dissecting a 350 year old French country mansion, and telling you about its owner and fascinating history.

Vaux-le-Vicomte

Vaux is nothing short of magnificent, just as Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis of Belle-Ile, Viscount of Vaux and Melun, intended it to be.  Hundreds of years later, it still stands in all its glory.  At the height of his day, Fouquet was the Superintendent of Finance for Louis XIV.  He held the country's purse strings.  Not just any country.  France was the most powerful nation in Europe at the time.  Population: over 20 million.  The population of Paris alone was over 100,000!  That's HUGE for 17th c. standards!

Fouquet purchased the Vaux estate in 1641. The construction on this enormous and very expensive project began in 1656 on a stretch of property that spanned the area of three villages. It took 18,000 men and a constant supply of funds made by Fouquet before Vaux-le-Vicomte was completed. He even had a river rerouted through his estate to add to the scenic landscaping. (See the bottom right-hand corner of the pic above.)

At times it was said that Fouquet co-mingled his personal funds with the Crown funds. Though this practice wasn't illegal at the time, it was used against him at his three-year-long trial. 

In fact, it was the most sensational trial in French history.

Louis XIV was a young king when Mazarin -- his godfather/First Minister -- died.  In his early twenties, King Louis XIV was more interested in dancing (he opened the first school of ballet!) and in being with his favorite mistress.  Running the country was boring to the twenty-two year old.  He left matters in Mazarin's hands, who had run the country for him since he was a boy.  Now that Mazarin was dead, Louis realized just how powerful Fouquet had become.  Some were actually calling Fouquet the true King of France.

That angered Louis -- and frightened him.  He wasn't about to lose his throne.  Not to anyone.  So how do you reassert power when your subjects have written you off?  Why, you take down the most powerful one around you -- and your biggest threat.

Nicolas Fouquet.

By all accounts, Fouquet was a brilliant man.  A lawyer, a member of parliament, a patron of the arts, a man who'd replenished the realm's depleted treasury with his financial skills.  Yet, he never foresaw his own doom.

He got too cocky.

But what really helped to sealed his fate was none other than the opulent mansion he built for himself --Vaux-le-Vicomte.  Oh....and the teeny, tiny party he through on August 17th, 1661 once the chateau was completed. . .

For six thousand of his closest friends. 

The party was in honor of the King, and to show off his spectacular Vaux.  You see, Vaux-le-Vicomte was superior to any chateau that belonged to the King. The lesson here: never eclipse the Sun King (a name by which Louis XIV is known). And never consider yourself indispensable.

Each guest was served on gold and silver plates, and given gifts of silk, diamonds, horses and jewelry. Fouquet spared no expense in entertaining and catering to those in attendance. Now that's a party I would have loved to have been at!  He even had the King's favorite playwright, Molière, write a play in honor of Louis. It was quite an elaborate performance, performed that very night for the King and the French court in the gardens at Vaux.

The King's Bedchambers at Vaux.

This is part of the King's apartments built for King Louis at Vaux-le-Vicomte, if ever he came to visit. Ironically, no King has ever slept here. On August 17, 1661, the night of Fouquet's infamous party, Louis arrived at 6:00 p.m. and left by 1:00 a.m.

There are many who say the King became jealous after seeing Fouquet's wealth and popularity that night. But Louis had carefully planned Fouquet's arrest long before. True, seeing Fouquet's popularity rubbed in his face, the expenditure of funds for Vaux and the over-the-top grandiose party did anger the King that evening, and he did want to have Fouquet arrested on the spot, but his mother, Anne of Austria, convinced him to wait.  He did. Two weeks. Fouquet's arrest date: September 5th, 1661, Louis' 23rd birthday. A present to himself? :-)

The charges: embezzlement of Crown funds.

Original architectural plans for Vaux!


See the highlighted secret passages? In actual fact, those are the servants' corridors.  Servants were not to be seen.  They moved in the darkened hallways between rooms to serve the master and mistress of the house.  If you click on the image, you will get a larger view of the pic.

Entertainment at Vaux

I promised I'd mention the entertainment available at Vaux. (Besides throwing the one and only extravagant party).

Books anyone?

Fouquet is every author's dream!  He loved books. This isn't what his original library looked like.  All those books are gone.  It was said he had up to twenty-seven thousand volumes, including Korans, Bibles and Talmuds.

How about some games?

This is the Game Room at Vaux where popular games like backgammon and basset were played. In The Princess and the Diamonds, found in my latest release, THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, I use the King's ban on Basset (which came years later) as part of the backdrop to Princess Gabrielle's and Mathias' story.  :-)

How about simply enjoying the gardens?

There are a number of optical illusions in the gardens of Vaux. It was specifically designed that way so that a stroll through the garden was an "experience".  Today, in the evenings, the staff at Vaux light thousands of candles throughout the gardens and in the chateau itself.  If you're ever in France, don't miss this! You can sit in these incredible gardens, with candlelight all around you and a vast starry sky above you, and sip champagne. 

Does it get better than that? *smiles*

 This long path runs beside the manicured gardens at Vaux.  I was told it was often used by lovers. ;-)



I fell completely head-over-heels in love with this time period when I first set eyes on this 17th c. masterpiece.  I could easily see myself living here!   It sleeps 800.  Want to come by for a stay?  Do you think the current owners, Count Patrice de Vogüé, and his wife, the Countess Christina who live at Vaux would notice if we moved in?

Time to reveal some secrets!

Yes, I promised that I would reveal some secrets about Vaux.  And me! 

First cool secret, I have an email written to me personally from Count Patrice de Vogüé!  It's true!  I'd written to the staff at Vaux to ask some research questions.  I never expected the response would come from the actual count himself!  What a delightful man.  His English was perfect....and he colored the background of his email a pretty pink!  When I realized the email was from the count, I screamed and called my dear hubby and all my friends!  *grins*

Okay, second secret.  

The roof on Vaux is made of slate tiles.  Every hundred years, the state tiles must be replaced.  The cost is enormous.  And the Count and Countess are in a constant struggle to keep Vaux in the black.  It's very expensive to run such a large estate and maintain the vast grounds.  They had to find funds for this very necessary renovation.  So, they got an idea.  

They decided to sell the old over-one-hundred-year-old slate tiles removed off the roof of Vaux in their gift shop to tourists!  And they sold like crazy!!  It's a little piece of history!

Though I've been to Vaux twice, Mr. DiPasqua has been there three times.  On a business trip to France without me, he stopped into Vaux during their roof reno.  He purchase one of these slate roof tiles for me.  Oh, but that's not all!  For an additional charge, you could purchase a new slate, carve whatever message you wanted on it, and it would be placed on Vaux as part of the new roof!

This is what my darling carved in my tile.  It now sits on Vaux's roof and will remain there for another hundred years!!!!

It was so sweet of DH! --- Just one of the million things he does that makes me love the man.   :-)

Be sure to come back next Monday to learn Fouquet's fate at his trial!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day!  Hope it's a day filled with love for you all! *muah*

Tell me a place you traveled to that totally captured your heart. . .Or a place you'd like to visit that you're aching to see?  One lucky commenter will win this lovely glass heart necklace!

One stipulation: You *must* be a Follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect.  :)  This giveaway is my treat to my followers only.  Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE.   

A snag in my plans....

Dearest readers,

The second part of my post - Revealing the Secrets of a Mansion - has been delayed.  For those who missed it, you can read part one about a 350 year old mansion, Vaux-le-Vicomte. A palatial abode with a tragic past.  I'd promised that in part 2 I'd reveal a secret.  About me!!  And I shall!  *smiles*   However, with my kids at home sick for over a week and a number of other pressing matters on my plate, I've had to postpone the post and will be posting it on Valentive's Day!  Oh. . . and maybe there will be a little giveaway, too. :)

Can you believe Valentine's Day is only a week away? 

Until then....I hope you're planning something romantic. Or wicked.  Or both.*winks*

I'll leave you with some eye-candy (no calories in these visual treats!)

My inspiration for Jules, my historical bad boy in A MIDNIGHT DANCE

Something to wake you up on a Monday.  ;)

Hugs,
Lila

A Cover to Reveal!!

I have the new cover for my upcoming summer release, A MIDNIGHT DANCE! Isn't it beautiful? I love everything about it. The details just blow me away! She looks just like my heroine, Sabine Laurent. I asked Berkley if they could place her in a golden-colored gown (there's a special reason for that! *smiles*)....and look at the gorgeous gown they selected! Oh, and I'd say that my historical bad boy hero, Jules, is pretty easy on the eyes here. ;) I'm so excited about my first full-length Fiery Tale. Cinderella has always been my favorite fairy tale.

A MIDNIGHT DANCE

(Berkley Sensation)

Aug. 2011

ISBN: 978-0425241981 

Available for pre-order now.

Inspired by the tale of Cinderella, Lila DiPasqua weaves a steamy story that offers a glass slipper, a dangerous deception, and an impoverished beauty determined to find her handsome prince…and make him pay.

Matching wits and wiles with a man of Jules de Moutier's seductive skill is not as easy as Sabine Laurent supposed. Soon, she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince...

This historical romance is really different, fresh, romantic and fun. Oh, and of course. . . steamy and downright scandalous. *winks* A friend of mine said she felt it was groundbreaking for a historical romance. I think that's rather true. There's nothing out there like it. August 2011 can't get here fast enough! I can't wait to invite you into my Cinderella fairy tale world!

Maybe I'm the only one, but I think my heroine, Sabine on the cover of A MIDNIGHT DANCE looks a

lot like Drew Barrymore on the movie poster of Ever After.  I LOVED that movie!  It's my favorite movie version of Cinderella!

What do you think?
Do they kind of look alike?

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow Friday for more on the gorgeous 350 year old mansion, Vaux-le-Vicomte.  I've got some really surprising secrets to reveal in this series of posts!  One even about me! ;)

Revealing the Secrets of a Mansion.

I thought it would be fun to dissect a 17th century French country mansion. For those who have read AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED, know I’m the odd one on the block.

Yes, it’s true! When other new authors have landed on the scene with historical romances set in England or Scotland—I picked 17th century France.

"Ah, why on earth would you do that, Lila? What's wrong with Regency England as a setting?" you ask?

My response, "Absolutely nothing! I LOVE regency-set historical romances. In fact, it's because I love historical romances set in the Regency period, that I fell in love with 17th century France.  It was just as refined as Regency England. I kid you not! Full of decadence, you had distinguished lords and lovely ladies who lived in city mansions and sprawling palatial country estates. There were spectacular ballrooms and elaborate masquerade balls. Theater—and plenty of scandalous behavior. All those elements you love about the Regency period are found in the time and place when the genre of fairy tales was born!

They said it couldn't be done.  That I couldn't sell a historical romance set in 17th century France, have a New York house want to publish it.  And have readers love it.

Well, I'm delighted to say, I've sold THREE BOOKS such books to Berkley and, thanks to you, dearest readers, I receive a steady stream of emails from fans who not only have fallen in love with my hot historical bad boys, and strong smart heroines—but the very time period itself.

I'm flattered, and ever so honored by it!  The lessons here:  1. Chase your dream, relentlessly.  2. Why blend if you have the chance to stand out?  :)  I've delivered something familiar, yet fresh and new.  And fairy tale.

So, let's take a look at the "ton" in France, shall we?

Over the next few posts, I'm going to dissect my favorite 17th c. French country mansion. Vaux-le-Vicomte. And expose some tantalizing details!  At the end of this series of posts I have a *really* cool SECRET to reveal about this spectacular chateau!!!  Stay tuned!

Why have I chosen Vaux?  Well, Vaux-le-Vicomte represents the decadence and elegance of the time so well!  This is very much the kind of world Charles Perrault lived in when he first brought the world Cinderella et al.

Vaux-le-Vicomte was built by Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis of Belle-Île, and Viscount of Vaux and Melun, the 3rd most powerful man in all of Europe—until his fall from grace, that is.  He was the Finance Minister of Louis XIV. Handsome, charismatic....oh, and ultimately convicted of embezzlement of funds.  (Some say Fouquet was innocent.  More on this totally fascinating man in another post!) ).

So without further ado......

The Beautiful VAUX-LE-VICOMTE. 

(Translated it means, "Like a Viscount".)  

Does Vaux look familiar?  It should. The movie, THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, where Leonardo DiCaprio played a yummy Louis XIV, was filmed at Vaux.  Why?  It's a lot cheaper than actually renting the palace of Versailles!  Vaux is certainly opulent enough to fool the viewer. 

Incidentally, after seeing Vaux-le-Vicomte, King Louis XIV was inspired to build Versailles and hired the very same designers to create his magnificent palace—fit for the most powerful monarch in all of Christendom. 

So, Vaux still doesn't ring a bell?  How about this little tidbit: Vaux-le-Vicomte was the very place where Eva Longoria and Tony Parker held their elegant fairy tale wedding reception.  Yup, I know... That didn't end well, did it? As Nicolas Fouquet would likely attest, NEVER throw a party at Vaux.  It's rather unlucky for both the host and hostess (more on Fouquet's famous party next time *winks*).

With rumors of Tony Parker's infidelity in the news, Mrs. Fouquet would certainly understand how Eva must feel. 

Here she is.  (Click on image on the left for a larger view) This painting hangs in the sitting room of Mrs. Fouquet's private apartments in Vaux.  It depicts her clipping the wings off Cupid—so that love would never leave her but be hers forever. Unfortunately, Fouquet was terribly unfaithful to his very young, most enamored wife.

Her private apartments overlook the gorgeous gardens (these gardens are breathtaking!  Oh, if the trees could talk. . .they would tell a scandalous tale or two! ).  Her private apartments consisted of her bedchamber, her sitting room, and her private bathroom. 

The Lap of 17th c. Luxury

 

Starting from the bottom left hand corner, moving around clockwise, you have a bidet, a copper bathtub, and of course the toilet.  Imaging being the lucky servant whose job it was to empty that everyday.  :)  Why is the room so small, you may wonder?  The answer is: no heating.  It was pretty cold, especially in the winter.  Making the room small and giving it its own fireplace kept you warm as you bathed.  Kept you from catching a chill. (Note: the bidet is circa 18th c. — not of Mrs. Fouquet's time. Oh, and neither is the wig they placed in the room. :D )

I'm going to leave you with this awesome LAYOUT of Vaux.  Click on anything that has the blue Q (Quicktime symbol) for a lovely panoramic view of that room!  On Friday I'll tell you about entertainment and parties at Vaux.  Including Fouquet's famous FINAL party. One that has yet to be matched hundreds of years later....even by Eva and Tony.  I'll also show you the original floor plan of this beautiful home...including the secret passages.

And speaking of secrets—don't forget to return for the reveal of *my* secret!

Did any of you see THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK?  I can't be the only one who drooled over Leonardo DiCaprio!  *smiles*