Jacquette de Montberon

Jacquette de Montberon [de Montbron] (1542 – June 28, 1598) was a 16th century humanist, architect, and lady-in-waiting to Queens Catherine de' Medici and Louise de Lorraine. She is the only woman in France known to have held the title of Architect during the Renaissance.

Biography Jacquette de Montberon was born in 1542, into one of the most powerful families of the County of Angoulême. She was the third daughter of François de Montbron (or Montberon), baron of Villefort and Beaulieu, captain of Blaye, and of Marie-Jeanne de Montpezat. After the death of her older Brother René de Montbron, Baron d'Archiac, who was killed at the Battle of Gravelines, Jacquette became the sole heiress and the remaining representative of the elder branch of the House of Montbron. At the age of 16 she married André de Bourdeille (1519), older brother of writer, columnist and soldier Pierre de Bourdeilles, viscount of Bourdeilles, lieutenant of King Henry III, and governor and seneschal of Périgord.

Between 1582 and 1587, Jacquette had a castle built in Matha, inspired by the Italian architectural standards that she had read about in books of Sebastiano Serilo.

In 1587, Jacquette de Montbron entered the service of the Queen-Mother Catherine de' Medici, where, impressed by the courage of the now widow, Catherine de'Medici made her a Lady-in-waiting. - René de Montbron''

"[Of all the arts, she loved geometry and architecture, in which she was expert and ingenious, how well she has done in this superb building and beautiful house of Bourdeille, that she built of her invention and volition, which is very admirable. Aussy Salomon says that the wise and honest woman that she built her house. Always she was building and moving stones in all her houses, being always assiduous in some fine deed, as in her works, to which she was very industrious and laborious.]"

- René de Montbron