Anne-Louise-Bénédicte, Duchess du Maine
Bourbon princess / mistress of Sceaux / cultural patron
1676–1753
Who they were
Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé, Duchess du Maine, was a granddaughter of the Grand Condé and the wife of Louis-Auguste de Bourbon. Sceaux, acquired by the couple in December 1700, became the setting for a distinctive princely household and her cultural patronage.
Her Grandes Nuits of 1714–1715 brought together court society and artists through dance, theatre and music. These entertainments made the residence a place of performance and intellectual exchange, rather than simply a country retreat. The estate’s cultural programme today recalls this aspect of her legacy.
Her political ambitions also affected the household. She participated in the Cellamare conspiracy against the Regent, Philippe d’Orléans, and was arrested in 1718. The family was dispersed into exile before returning to Sceaux in 1720. She died in 1753; the château she knew was the earlier building, demolished before the present house was constructed.
Related residences
Sources
- Sceaux — the du Maine family
- Departmental Archives — the Grandes Nuits
- Sceaux — arrests and return from exile
- Sceaux — estate chronology
Short biography checked 10 October 2026. Lifespan and documented activity dates are labelled separately.