The term Marqués is used to refer to the individual who has a higher noble title than a count , although lower than a duke . It is an honor granted by European Kings.
Marqués comes from brand , a word that formerly alluded to a border territory. The first Marquises, in this context, were the lords that resided on the borders of a kingdom and who were dedicated to protecting these limits against the invaders.
In Spain , the title of Marqués is the most granted by the crown . He consolidated himself in the fifteenth century and enjoyed more importance in Santillana, Villena and Astorga. There are more than 1300 Marquis titles in the Spanish territory, which are hereditary and transfer to the primographic descendant of the headline. Legitimate consorts and widowed spouses (provided they do not marry) can also use the title.
Any person who uses Marqués's title improperly, who bought or sells it receives the entire weight of the law . It is necessary to point out that on more than one occasion the king has honored people out of the nobility to reward them for their merits.
In Hungary, Germany and Bohemia, on the other hand, there was the title of Margrave ( Markgraf , in Germanic), which is equivalent to Marqués. Margravate is called the territory controlled by the Margraves, who were considered imperial princes. Over the years, the term marquee arose, such as Brandeburg and Baden.
The Marquis de Sade is possibly the most famous marquis in history . Called Donatien Alphense François , this Frenchman who was born in 1740 and died in 1814 was an outstanding writer and philosopher who shocked by the violent and perverse content of his works. In fact, he was almost three decades deprived of his freedom.
Among the best known works of the Marquis de Sade are the crimes of love , the marquise of Gange , Justine or the misfortunes of virtue , the 120 days of Sodom Tales, theater pieces and rehearsals.
One of the most obvious features of his works is the presence of antiheroes , who execute rapes and other reprehensible acts that, however, they justify. Radical atheism and paraphilias, sexual patterns that include situations or atypical objects also often appear. In a nutshell, we can say that in the stories of the Marquis de Sade the vice is imposed above virtue.
In the popular story "Puss in Boots" , meanwhile, the feline in question poses as the envoy of a supposed Marquis of Carabás . In this way he manages to deceive the king and helps his master marry the princess.
The expression "live like a marquis" , finally, is used in reference to someone who lives without worries and surrounded by luxury . For example: "My neighbor lives like a marquis and doesn't even have a job," "I would like to live like a marquis, but I have to work from dawn to dusk."
There are other similar expressions, such as “live like a king/queen,” that have the same meaning. Practically, whether they are common or not in everyday speech, we can improvise a new one simply by replacing the noble title with any other or with a high- ranking position, such as "president." It is even possible to say that someone lives "like a movie star" or "rock star", etc., although perhaps in these cases there are nuances related to vices that are not included in the previous ones, which focus more on comforts and the absence of stress.