Duke of Brissac

House of Cossé-Brissac
Arms of the Cossé-Brissac family
Country	France
Estates	Château de Brissac
Titles	Duke of Brissac Peer of France Marquis of Brissac
Founded	Late Middle Ages
Current head	François de Cossé-Brissac, 13th Duke of Brissac

Duke of Brissac is a title of French nobility in the Peerage of France, which was created in 1611 for Charles II de Cossé. This title is currently held by François de Cossé-Brissac, who is the 13th Duke of Brissac.

The fief of Brissac in Anjou had been acquired at the end of the 15th century by a French family named Cossé from the same province. René de Cossé (1460-1540) married into the Gouffier family, which was at that time very powerful at court. He was awarded the title of premier panetier to King Louis XII of France.

Two sons of René de Cossé were prominent French military commanders and became Marshals of France. The fief of Brissac was assigned the status of a County in 1560 and allotted to René's elder son, Charles de Cossé, Count of Brissac, who was grand master of artillery and governor of Piedmont and Picardy. It was he who introduced the Italian violin to the French court. The second son of René was Artus de Cossé (1512-1582), who held the offices of Grand Panetier of France and superintendent of finance, and he distinguished himself in the French Wars of Religion.

The younger son of Charles de Cossé, Count of Brissac, was Charles II de Cossé. He fought for the Catholic League and, as military governor of Paris, opened the gates of that city to Henry IV of France, who appointed him Marshal of France in 1594. The County of Brissac was raised in status to a Duchy in the Peerage of France in 1611. At that point, |Charles II de Cossé became the first Duke of Brissac.