Du Bellay, one of the most personal if not the greatest poets of the sixteenth century, was born, like his friend and colleague Ronsard, into the provincial nobility and in the Loire valley. His ancient family’s ancestral home lay in the region of Anjou, and its younger branch, which excluded Joachim, gained great prestige under Francis I: Guillaume du Bellay was for some years governor of Piedmont during the French occupation, while his brother, Jean du Bellay, was made bishop of Paris and cardinal of the church of Rome.

Joachim’s own father, also named Jean, was considerably less distinguished, and died early in his son’s life, leaving him to the care of his elder brother René. Some comments by the poet imply that he was a neglected sibling, particularly as concerns his

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Citation: Parkin, John. "Joachim Du Bellay". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1322, accessed 28 March 2024.]

1322 Joachim Du Bellay 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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