Jacques Heart

Jacques Heart , trading French and Minister of Finance of Charles VII, (Bourges, 1395 - Tap-holes, 1456)

French business man, it then sent his vessels in almost all the parts of the world known, and acquired in little time the most considerable fortune of the Europe. He tied commercial relations with the countries of the Raising, the Spain, the Italy, and establishes counters with Avignon, Lyon, Limoges, Rouen, Paris and Bruges. Its activities were multiple (banks, changes, mines,…).

The destiny of this wire of furrier was played in 1418, when its marriage with the grand-daughter of the Master of the currency of Bourges introduces it at the court of the future Charles VII. He manages to gain the protection of favorite the Agnès Sorel.

In 1432, of return of Damas, Jacques Cœur unloads in Languedoc devastated by the plague. It has just provided the foundations of the trade with Raising: soon its fleet will serve all Mediterranean. For center of its business, it chooses Montpellier, attracted by the cultural radiation of the city and its bonds with the Arab countries. Between its hands an extraordinary fortune piles up: it buys splendid hotels, about thirty seigniories, and ready of the money with the king himself… Charles VII named it his Argentier (treasurer of its saving), the anoblit (1441). He entrusted several diplomatic missions to him, and had more once recourse to his purse: in 1448, Jacques Cœur lent 200 to him; 000 ecus of gold. It fills of the official loads (Master of the currencies in 1436, banker of the king in 1439, adviser of the king in 1442, visitor of gabelles in 1443), it contributed to the cleansing of the currencies and installed the Parliament of Toulouse in 1443.

It made build a sumptuous palate with Bourges, as well as colleges in Paris, Montpellier and Bourges. Its currency, " In valiant Cœur, nothing impossible " , is still known nowadays.

Jacques Heart being very jalousé for his great fortune, his enemies and his envieux managed to lose it. After the death of Agnes Sorel which protected it, Charles forgot his services and gave up it with the greed of the courtiers, who shared his skins.

Shown imaginary crimes, washed of a charge of poisoning, it is stopped for embezzlement in 1451, condemned to the prison, and its goods are confiscated; a stop saves the capital punishment to him, for rendered services. He escapes in 1454, after 3 years of prison and runs away himself with Rome, the pope Calixte III giving him the command of part of the fleet which he had armed against the Turkish S. Jacques Cœur falls ill during the countryside, and dies in the Greek island of Chios, in 1456.

Its memory was rehabilitated by Louis XI.

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