() was the name of an old
Piedmontese noble family, from which were descended the counts of
Casalborgone,
Mombello and
Revello, and the lords of
Arignano,
Cortandone,
Fontanetto Po,
Chieri,
Cocconato,
Monale, Montaldo,
Pont Canavese and
Santena. The first reference to the name is dated 1245, mentioning one
Ardizzone Broglia, father of
Guglielmo,
decurione of
Chieri. The founder of the French
de Broglie line was Francesco Maria, count of
Revello, of the
Broglia di Chieri family. Born in 1611 in Piedmont, he took service in the French army in the
Thirty Years' War and was naturalized in France after 1643. He is now known as
François-Marie, comte de Broglie. After distinguishing himself as a soldier, he died, a lieutenant-general, at the siege of
Valenza on 2 July 1656. His son,
Victor-Maurice, comte de Broglie (1647–1727), served under Condé, Turenne and other great commanders of the age of
Louis XIV. He became
maréchal de camp in 1676, lieutenant-general in 1688, and finally
marshal of France in 1724. His grandson,
François-Marie, was made duc de Broglie and a
peer of France in 1742. His great-grandson,
Victor-François, 2nd duc de Broglie, was created
Prince of the Holy Roman Empire in 1759 by Emperor
Francis I. All junior members of the House of Broglie bear the title of
prince de Broglie, while the head of the family is the
duc de Broglie. A junior line used the title of
prince de Broglie-Revel, after one of its lordships.
Louis, 7th duc de Broglie (1892–1987), a physicist and
Nobel laureate, was one of the founders of
quantum theory. == Family members==