Friends of the John Rylands

Pursuing Cardinal Richelieu: Power and wealth in early modern Europe

JOSEPH BERGIN is Professor of Modern History in the School of Arts Histories and Cultures at the University of Manchester and much more. In 2011 he became the first recipient of the silver Richelieu medal for “promoting the values of scholarly excellence”. He is also holder of the ‘Antiquités de France’ medal from the French Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres and an ‘officier’ of the French order of the Palmes Académiques.

 

Professor Bergin’s earliest published work featured the life Cardinal Richelieu and tonight’s talk will introduce us to the interplay of power and wealth that allowed Richelieu, son of a noble family in reduced circumstances, to rise to be the wealthiest man in France and arguably the most powerful.