Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal-Duke of Richelieu and of Fronsac (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642) was a French clergyman, noble and statesman.
In 1622, Richelieu was elected the principal of the Sorbonne University. Seeing that the college buildings were falling into ruin, he set about renovating them. In 1629, he began to rebuild the entire establishment, on the condition that a place was left for his tomb, and also ordered the construction of the Palais-Cardinal, later known as the Palais-Royal. The tomb was designed by François Girardon and later protected by Alexandre Lenoir during the French Revolution.
As the chief minister of King Louis XIII, Richelieu played a vital role in centralizing the French state and strengthening its power. At one point, he attempted in vain to set up a hospital for invalid soldiers. Following his death, he was buried in his tomb at the Sorbonne and succeeded by Cardinal Mazarin.