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Nicolas Fizes

1648 – 1718

French mathematician, writer and librettist

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About Nicolas Fizes

Lived 1648 – 1718 (aged 69–70). Nicolas Fizes was a French mathematician, writer, librettist and hydrographer.

Nicolas Fizes (27 October 1648 in Frontignan – 1718) was a French professor of mathematics and hydrography, who lived during the reign of Louis XIV. He is especially known as the librettist who wrote L'Opéra de Frontignan, a play in Occitan, dealing with a slight love intrigue, and an idyllic poem on the fountain of Frontignan.

Career Nicolas Fizes's parents were carpenters in the French Navy. He studied with the Jesuits, and became engineer to armies and a doctor of law. In 1682 he held the first professorship of mathematics and hydrography in Montpellier.

From 1689, he headed a school of hydrography in Frontignan. In the hall of the Town Hall, he taught a few young sailors the concepts of mathematics and astrology. But this school was previously free, and Fizes asked for a salary of 150 pounds a year, which led to a conflict with the consuls of Frontignan. The school only survived 7 years, and closed its doors in 1696.

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Important facts

Birth century
Died
1718
Nationality
Employers
University of Montpellier

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Nicolas Fizes's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Nicolas Fizes?

French mathematician, writer and librettist

When was Nicolas Fizes born?

Nicolas Fizes was born on 27 October 1648 in Frontignan.

When did Nicolas Fizes die?

Nicolas Fizes died in 1718.

What was Nicolas Fizes's occupation?

Nicolas Fizes was a mathematician, writer, librettist and hydrographer.

What nationality was Nicolas Fizes?

Nicolas Fizes was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Nicolas Fizes

· Wikidata: Q18170070

· DBpedia: Nicolas Fizes

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nicolas Fizes. https://biography.guide/nicolas-fizes/

MLA: "Nicolas Fizes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nicolas-fizes/.

Chicago: "Nicolas Fizes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nicolas-fizes/.

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