Bernard Palissy

Bernard Palissy (* 1510 in Lacapelle -Biron at Agen; † 1589 or 1590 in the Bastille of Paris) was a French scientist, famous enamel artist and co-founder of the Protestant church of Saintes.

Life

Bernard Palissy was born in Agen, learned the stained glass and eventually settled in Saintes to La Rochelle. For 16 years he led experiments with the aim to produce a completely white enamel paint for decorative purposes. As a researcher spirit of the Renaissance came the experiment over theory for him. He was also a chemist, geologist and alchemist. According to his report he sacrificed for almost anything - so he burned his furniture to keep the fire burning. Its enameled pots and clay sculptures earned him the favor of Anne de Montmorency, Duke and Constable of France, from the prison in Bordeaux ( 1562) freed him where he is because of the accusation, to be of Huguenot priest was. When he came to Paris, Catherine de Medici took him under their protection, and charged him with the beautification of the gardens of the Tuileries, where he built a grotto, among other things, and richly ornamented. He received the title of " inventor of the rural figures of the King". In 1572 he escaped the massacre of St. Bartholomew and sought refuge in Sedan. 1575 he returned to Paris and gave public lectures about his research and observations. After the Edict of Nemours in 1585, he had to hide in 1587, but was taken up by the Catholic League and imprisoned in the Bastille because he refused to recant. He died there in 1589th

Palissy 's name to the base Palissy, database of the French Ministry of Culture for movable cultural property in France.