Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe

Who was Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe?

Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe was a French composer and violist.

It is speculated by various scholars that Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe was of Lyonnais or Burgundian petty nobility; and also the selfsame 'Jean de Sainte-Colombe' noted as the father of 'Monsieur de Saint Colombe le fils.' This assumption was erroneous, according to subsequent research in Paris by American bass viol player and musicologist Jonathan Dunford. Dunford suggests he was probably from the Pau area in southernmost France and a Protestant, that his first name was "Jean" and that he had two daughters named Brigide and Françoise.

However, most likely, M. Sainte-Colombe was a member of the ancient family and last name "de Sancta Columba", from Catalan origin, as Guillem Bernat de Sancta Columba. There is a book written by Claude Le-Laboureur in 1673 regarding the genealogy of the Sainte Colombe family in France. According to Le-Laboureur, the first member of the Sainte Colombe family in France was Guillaudum de Sancta Columba. Another important member of the Sancta Columba family was Bonafusus de Sancta Columba, the first to have a patent granted in the world, granted by Henry III, King of England.