François Blondel ( June 1618 – 21 January 1686) was a soldier, engineer of fortifications, mathematician, diplomat, military and civil engineer and architect, called "the Great Blondel", to distinguish him in a dynasty of French architects. He is remembered for his ''Cours d'architecture'' which remained a central text for over a century. His precepts placed him in opposition with Claude Perrault in the larger culture war known under the heading ''Querelle des anciens et des modernes''. If François Blondel was not the most highly reputed among the ''académiciens'' of his day, his were the writings that most generally circulated among the general public, the ''Cours de Mathématiques'', the ''Art de jetter les Bombes'', the ''Nouvelle manière de fortifier les places'' and, above all his '' Cours d'Architecture''.
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