Anne de Graville

Anne de Graville or Anne Malet de Graville (c.1490–c.1540) was a French Renaissance poet, translator, book collector, and lady-in-waiting to Queen Claude of France. She hailed from one of the most prominent families in the country, and overcame scandal to become a well respected literary figure at the royal court. In addition to authoring two texts, she was an avid collector of books and manuscripts. Early life Anne was born around 1490 into the Malet de Graville family, one of the most wealthy and prestigious families in France. She was the youngest daughter of three surviving girls Louise, Jeanne and Anne. Both of her brothers died early. Her father, the admiral who served three kings in his lifetime, and her mother Marie de Balsac raised her at the family estate not far from Paris, the Chateau of Marcoussis. estate where the future king Francis 1 enjoyed hunting: 49. There Anne received a classical education and learned to read and write in French, Italian, and Latin. She had access to her father's expansive library for her studies and would become an avid bibliophile and book collector herself. It is said that she was very beautiful with blond hair and dark eyes. She had a beautiful singing voice for which she was celebrated at court.:54-56. Marriage Around 1507, Pierre de Balsac d'Entragues, the son of and cousin to Anne on her mother's side, fell in love with her. He arranged a kidnapping (apparently with her consent) from the Chateau de Marcoussis. They married secretly, around 1508. Because of her marriage, Anne incurred her father’s disappointment and wrath; he sued the couple, leading to lengthy lawsuits and disinheritance. The chaplain of Louis de Graville intervened to reconcile Anne with her father in return for a renunciation of her inheritance, a fixed sum of money and an annual pension. At her father’s death in 1516 she sued the estate and regained her third of the inheritance after her father’s death. After 1518 Anne and Pierre were awarded their part of her father’s possessions, including domains in Normandy and central France, a grand house in Paris, and most importantly, a large portion of Louis Malet de Graville’s extensive library, which she would further develop with her own acquisitions.