Claude Billard

Claude Billard (Souvigny, 1550 – Courgenay, 1618 ) was a French writer, poet and playwright of the Renaissance.

Biography Raised by the Duchess of Retz, whom he would name "generous Dictynne" in his verse, he was first a soldier and fought alongside the Catholics during the French Wars of Religion. He wrote a lament on the death of the Duke of Joyeuse in 1587 and from 1588 would publish verse, acknowledging his masters were Jodelle, Robert Garnier and Ronsard. He became advisor then secretary to Queen Margaret of Valois. He then turned to theater and was one of the first to take his subjects from the history of France. He brought together seven tragedies in a collection published in 1610. That same year, the assassination of Henri IV provided him the theme for a play which was presented before the Queen Marie de' Medici. He ended his life in his retirement at Courgenay.

Works 1587: Vers funèbres françois et latins sur le vrai discours de la mort de M. le duc de Joyeuse, 1587 1605: Voyage de la reine Marguerite en sa maison de Bologne 1607: Polixène 1607: Gaston de Foix 1607: Mérovée 1608: Panthée 1608: Saül 1609: Alboin 1609: Genèvre (These seven tragedies were gathered in a collection entitled Tragédies françoises, D. Langlois, 1610) 1610: Henri le Grand

Recent edition Genevre, a cura di Giovanna Melis, Cagliari, Università degli studi di Cagliari, Istituto di lingue e letterature straniere, 1983