Nicolas Foucquet, surintendant des finances

A brilliant administrator, Nicolas Foucault rose to become the chief steward of France’s royal finances during the early reign of Louis XIV. His talent for reorganising tax collection and his grand vision for the kingdom’s economy earned him the confidence of the Sun King and the admiration of his contemporaries. At the same time, the young minister cultivated an extravagant lifestyle, acquiring the splendid Château de Vaux and surrounding himself with an impressive circle of artists, architects and scholars, all eager to share in the glow of his success.

The narrative then turns to the dramatic reversal of his fortunes, as court intrigues and rivalries bring the once‑celebrated figure under suspicion. Foucault’s arrest, the secretive investigations, and his long confinement in the Bastille and later at Pignerol become the focus of a compelling mystery that still fascinates historians. Drawing on an extraordinary range of archival sources, the author reconstructs the political and financial climate of early Louis XIV’s reign, offering listeners a vivid portrait of ambition, power, and the precariousness of courtly life.