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Why was Voltaire exiled from France?

The French writer Voltaire (1694–1778) was exiled (forcibly sent away) from France because he wrote a controversial critique of the French church and monarchy (government headed by a king or queen). Born Francois-Marie Arouet, he adopted the name Voltaire when he was imprisoned for the first time in the Bastille, the famous French prison.

Voltaire attended College Louis-le-Grand (1704–1711) and then began associating with a group of aristocrats who enjoyed his wit. He started writing verses that criticized a local regent (government official), the Duke d'Orleans, which landed him in the Bastille in 1717. Taking the name Voltaire, he began working on The Henriade, a controversial critique of French king Henry IV (1553–1610) that attacked religious fanaticism (extreme beliefs) and praised toleration. After he was released from prison his unpopular ideas led...

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1. Pablo Picasso