ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief history of Maison royale de Saint-Louis as well as an introduction to its beloved yet controversial founder, Francoise d'Aubigny, the marquise of Maintenon. The origins of the Maison royale de Saint-Louis is found in a small school established by Madame de Brinon, an Ursuline nun whose convent had been closed due to debt. The Maison royale de Saint-Louis would house 250 girls, who could be granted admission only by the king after having established proof of nobility to four degrees on their paternal side. The Maison royale de Saint-Louis served as the inspiration for a number of other houses of education for girls, including the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens established by Catherine the Great of Russia, which continued until the Russian Revolution. Francoise d'Aubigny, the marquise of Maintenon, was a remarkable figure. Although from a family of minor nobility, she was born and raised in extreme poverty.
