Loudun - Personalities

Personalities

Loudun is the birthplace of:

  • Jean Salmon Macrin (1490–1557), Neo-Latin poet
  • Théophraste Renaudot (1586–1653), medical practitioner, inventor of French written press, journalist, philanthropist
  • Ismaël Bullialdus (1604–1694), astronomer
  • Jean-Charles Cornay, martyr.
  • Marie Besnard, accused of poisoning in the '50s in what was a very mediatized trial; her story was the subject of a successful TV movie and of several books
  • René Monory, mayor of Loudun, senator of Vienne, president of the French Senate, Minister of Education, president of the Vienne General Council, fonder of the Futuroscope park of Poitiers
  • Nicolas Ghesquière (born 1972), creative director of the French fashion house Balenciaga was born in 1972 in Comines, Nord-Pas-de-Calais but was always raised in Loudun where his parents own a golf course.

Loudun is the place of death of:

  • Urbain Grandier (18 August 1634), French Catholic priest who was burned at the stake after being convicted of witchcraft.
  • André Andrejew (16 March 1967), French-Russian classic film production designer, built decors for movies produced in Germany, France, England and the US.

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