page_title: Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart
section_title: General of the Galleys
hierarchical_section_title: Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart / Biography / General of the Galleys
caption_attribution_description: English: Bust of Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart, duc de Vivonne, by Yves-Étienne Collet (1761-1843) On display at Brest naval museum, accession number MnM 41 OA 95
context_page_description: Louis Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duke of Mortemart was a French nobleman and member of the ancient House of Rochechouart. His father Gabriel de Rochechouart de Mortemart was a childhood friend of Louis XIII. His older sister was Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart, the celebrated beauty of the era; another sister was Madame de Montespan herself the mistress of Louis XIV. He was Général des galères and Marshal of France, Maréchal de Vivonne.
context_section_description: Captain of vessels and created a Peer of France in 1663, he embarked with the unfortunate Chevalier Paul on an expedition to Jijel in north eastern Algeria. When war had been declared with Spain in 1667, Louis Victor distinguished himself in Flanders under the eyes of the king himself. When not on the field, Louis Victor was campaigning on the galleys becoming général des galères in March 1669, partly due to the influence of his sister la Belle Montespan who had been Louis XIV's mistress for about two years by then. Some time after his promotion he attacked the Turks who had invaded the Venetians at the siege of Candia. After the death of Beaufort (25 June 1669) Louis Victor bought up the vessels and continued the fight.
  Injured due to combat on 24 July, he was quick to realise that he could not force the Turks to retreat, withdrawing himself to Toulon. In 1671 he was given command of protecting the southern coast of France from barbary pirates. In 1672, in the French War with Holland, he took part in the famous crossing of the Rhine. His horse, Claud Le Blanc, tripped in the water, causing Louis Victor to fall into the river. At the same moment, he was shot in the arm and he had to be carried away in a sling but he was carried with the pride of the Mortemarts. In 1673 he signalled the siege of Maastricht. The next year he was named Governor of Champagne.
caption: Duke of Vivone at Brest naval museum
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