Anne of Austria (1601-1666) was the daughter of Philip III of Spain. In 1615 she married Louis XIII of France and in 1638 gave birth to the future Louis XIV, king of France. During the minority of Louis, Anne acted as regent, aided by chief minister Cardinal Jules Mazarin.

This medal was made in thanksgiving for the birth of Louis XIV. To show her gratitude to the Virgin Mary for the birth of her son (Anne previously was childless after 23 years of marriage), Anne of Austria ordered the building of the church of Val-de-Grâce. The young Louis is said to have laid the cornerstone of the church in 1645, when he was seven years old. The church of the Val-de-Grâce was built on the land of a Benedictine convent. It was designed by François Mansart and Jacques Lemercier and is considered by some as Paris' best example of baroque architecture. Construction began in 1645 and was completed in 1667.

LINK to Biography and Portrait of Anne of Austria (from Wikipedia)