Xavier de Maistre (1763 – 12 June 1852) of
SavoySavoy is a region of Europe on the western flank of the Alps that emerged following the collapse of the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy. The historical land of Savoy is shared between the modern republics of France and Italy.-Background:...
(at the time, a region of the
Kingdom of SardiniaKingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720, when the crown of Sardinia was awarded by the Treaty of London to Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy to compensate him for the loss of the crown of Sicily to...
), lived largely as a military man, but is known as a
French writerFrench literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak other traditional non-French languages. Literature written by citizens of other nations such as...
. The younger brother of noted philosopher and counter-revolutionary
Joseph de MaistreJoseph-Marie, comte de Maistre was a French-speaking Savoyard lawyer, diplomat, writer, and philosopher. He was the most influential spokesmen for hierarchical authoritarianism in the period immediately following the French Revolution of 1789...
, Xavier was born to an aristocratic family at
ChambéryChambéry is commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made it his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry was founded at...
in October 1763. He served when young in the
Kingdom of SardiniaKingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720, when the crown of Sardinia was awarded by the Treaty of London to Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy to compensate him for the loss of the crown of Sicily to...
army, and wrote his fantasy,
Voyage autour de ma chambre (Journey Around My Room, published 1794) when he was under arrest in
TurinTurin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
as the consequence of a duel.
Xavier shared the politics and the loyalty of his brother, and after a French revolutionary army annexed
SavoySavoy is a region of Europe on the western flank of the Alps that emerged following the collapse of the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy. The historical land of Savoy is shared between the modern republics of France and Italy.-Background:...
to France in 1792, he left the service, and eventually took a commission in the
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n army.
Xavier de Maistre (1763 – 12 June 1852) of
SavoySavoy is a region of Europe on the western flank of the Alps that emerged following the collapse of the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy. The historical land of Savoy is shared between the modern republics of France and Italy.-Background:...
(at the time, a region of the
Kingdom of SardiniaKingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720, when the crown of Sardinia was awarded by the Treaty of London to Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy to compensate him for the loss of the crown of Sicily to...
), lived largely as a military man, but is known as a
French writerFrench literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak other traditional non-French languages. Literature written by citizens of other nations such as...
. The younger brother of noted philosopher and counter-revolutionary
Joseph de MaistreJoseph-Marie, comte de Maistre was a French-speaking Savoyard lawyer, diplomat, writer, and philosopher. He was the most influential spokesmen for hierarchical authoritarianism in the period immediately following the French Revolution of 1789...
, Xavier was born to an aristocratic family at
ChambéryChambéry is commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made it his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry was founded at...
in October 1763. He served when young in the
Kingdom of SardiniaKingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720, when the crown of Sardinia was awarded by the Treaty of London to Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy to compensate him for the loss of the crown of Sicily to...
army, and wrote his fantasy,
Voyage autour de ma chambre (Journey Around My Room, published 1794) when he was under arrest in
TurinTurin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
as the consequence of a duel.
Xavier shared the politics and the loyalty of his brother, and after a French revolutionary army annexed
SavoySavoy is a region of Europe on the western flank of the Alps that emerged following the collapse of the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy. The historical land of Savoy is shared between the modern republics of France and Italy.-Background:...
to France in 1792, he left the service, and eventually took a commission in the
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n army. He served under
Alexander SuvorovAlexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince of Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimus of the Russian Empire...
in his victorious Austro-Russian campaign and accompanied the marshal to Russia in 1796. By then, Suvorov's patron
Catherine II of RussiaCatherine II , also known as Catherine the Great, born . She was Empress of Russia from until . Under her direct auspices the Russian Empire expanded, improved its administration, and continued to modernize along Western European lines...
had died, and the new monarch
Paul IPaul was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801.-Childhood:Paul was born in the Palace of Empress Elisabeth in St Petersburg. He was the son of Elizabeth's heir, her nephew, the Grand Duke Peter, later Emperor Peter III, and his wife, the Grand Duchess Catherine, later Empress Catherine II...
dismissed the victorious general (partly on account of the massacre of 20,000 Poles after he conquered
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
). Xavier de Maistre shared the disgrace of his general, and supported himself for some time in St. Petersburg by miniature painting, particularly landscapes.
In 1803,
Joseph de MaistreJoseph-Marie, comte de Maistre was a French-speaking Savoyard lawyer, diplomat, writer, and philosopher. He was the most influential spokesmen for hierarchical authoritarianism in the period immediately following the French Revolution of 1789...
was appointed the
SardiniaKingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720, when the crown of Sardinia was awarded by the Treaty of London to Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy to compensate him for the loss of the crown of Sicily to...
's ambassador to the court of
Alexander IAlexander I of Russia , also known as Alexander the Blessed served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815 to 1825, as well as the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania.He was born in Saint Petersburg to Grand Duke Paul Petrovich, later...
, Tsar of Russia. On his brother's arrival in St. Petersburg, Xavier de Maistre was introduced to the Minister of the Navy, and was appointed to several posts including director of the Library, and of the Museum of Admiralty. He also joined active service, and was wounded in the
CaucasusThe Caucasus or Caucas is a geopolitical region between at the border of Europe and Asia. It is home to the Caucasus Mountains, including Europe's highest mountain ....
, attaining the rank of major-general. In 1812 he married the Russian lady, related to the Tsars, Mrs. Zagriatsky, and established himself in his adopted country, even after the overthrow of Napoleon, and the consequent restoration of the Piedmontese dynasty.
Literary life
His
Voyage autour de ma chambre (1794), a parody set in the tradition of the grand travel narrative, is an
autobiographical account of how a young official, imprisoned in his room for six weeks, describes the customs, furniture, engravings, etc, as if it were a voyage to a strange land. He praises this voyage because it does not cost anything, for this reason it is strongly recommended to the poor, the infirm, and the lazy. His room is a long square, and the perimeter is thirty-six paces. " When I travel through my room," he writes, "I rarely follow a straight line: I go from the table towards a picture hanging in a corner; from there, I set out obliquely towards the door; but even though, when I begin, it really is my intention to go there, if I happen to meet my armchair en route, I don’t think twice about it, and settle down in it without further ado." Later, proceeding North, he encounters his bed, and in this way he lightheartedly continues his "Voyage".
This work is remarkable for its play with the reader's imagination, along the lines of
Laurence SterneLaurence Sterne was an Irish-born English novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy; but he also published many sermons, wrote memoirs, and was involved in local politics...
, whom Xavier admired. Xavier did not think much of
Voyage, but his brother Joseph had it published.
Most of his other works are of modest dimensions; these include
- Le Lépreux de la Cité d'Aoste (The leper from Aoste, 1811), a touching humane story in a simple style, involving a dialogue between a leper who reminisces with a soldier about his lost youth and his sequestered life in a tower with a view of the Alps;
- Les Prisonniers du Caucase, (Prisoners of the Caucasus, 1825) a powerful sketch of Russian character,
- La Jeune Sibérienne, (The young Siberian, 1825), and
- Expédition Nocturne Autour de ma Chambre (Night Voyage Around My Room, 1825), a sequel to Voyage Autour de ma Chambre.
At the time of the French edition of
La Jeune Siebérienne (1825) he went on a long journey to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and
SavoySavoy is a region of Europe on the western flank of the Alps that emerged following the collapse of the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy. The historical land of Savoy is shared between the modern republics of France and Italy.-Background:...
, (in 1839), when he was somewhat surprised to find himself well known in literary circles.
Alphonse de LamartineAlphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was a French writer, poet and politician.-Career:Born in Mâcon, Burgundy into French provincial nobility, he spent his youth at the family property at Milly-Lamartine....
dedicated a poem to him (
Retour) 1826, the entire poem praises his genius: "the future sons will say ... it is your heart, which through your mellifluous writings have passed to us". He met
Charles Augustin Sainte-BeuveCharles Augustin Sainte-Beuve was a literary critic and one of the major figures of French literary history.-Early years:...
, who has left some pleasant reminiscences of him.
For a time, he lived at
NaplesNaples in Italy, is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. The city is known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,800 years old...
, but eventually he returned to St Petersburg and died there in 1852.
Allusions in Other Works
- A quote from "Voyages Autour de Ma Chambre" is the epigraph to Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , best known as Jorge Luis Borges, was an Argentine writer and poet born in Buenos Aires. In 1914, his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school and traveled to Spain. On his return to Argentina in 1921, Borges began publishing his poems and...
' short story The AlephFor other uses, see Aleph "The Aleph" is a short story by the Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges. It is one of the stories in the short story collection, The Aleph and Other Stories, first published in 1949, and revised by the author in 1974.-Plot summary:In Borges's story, the Aleph is a...
.
- "Voyages Autour de ma Chambre" is mentioned in British author Alain de Botton
Alain de Botton, is a Swiss writer, television presenter and entrepreneur.His books and television programmes discuss various subjects in a philosophical style with an emphasis on their relevance to everyday life. In August 2008, he was a founding member of a new educational establishment in...
's book The Art of Travel (2002, ISBN 0-375-42082-7).
- The poem Hai luli from Les Prisonniers du Caucase was set to music by French composer Pauline Viardot.
- Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was a French writer, poet and politician.-Career:Born in Mâcon, Burgundy into French provincial nobility, he spent his youth at the family property at Milly-Lamartine....
writes the poem Le Retour when De Maistre returns to Paris.
External links