Marquis de Sade bibliography by censorship: not until 1983 were his works allowed unfettered distribution in the UK, for instance. Marquis de Sade bibliography Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, best known as the Marquis de Sade, was a French aristocrat, revolutionary and author of philosophical and sadomasochistic novels exploring such controversial subjects as rape, bestiality and necrophilia. His works evidence a philosophical mind advocating a materialist philosophy in which Nature dictates absolute freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion or law, with the pursuit of personal pleasure as its foremost principle. Besides novels, he wrote philosophical tracts, novellas, short tales, and a number of plays (many
Joseph-Alphonse-Omer de Valbelle Joseph-Alphonse-Omer de Valbelle Joseph-Alphonse-Omer de Valbelle (1729-1818) was a French aristocrat and military officer. Joseph-Alphonse-Omer de Valbelle was born on 18 June 1729 in Aix-en-Provence. His father was André Geoffroy de Valbelle and his mother, Marguerite-Delphine de Valbelle. He had a brother, Joseph-Ignage-Cosme de Valbelle, and a sister, Anne Alphonsine de Valbelle. He served as a mestre de camp in 1749, maréchal de camp in 1762, followed by Lieutenant general of Provence. After his brother's death in 1766, he inherited the marquisates of Tourves, Rians, Montfuron, Bressuire, the Baronetcies of Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise and Meyrargues, the Countom of Oraison, Valbelle, Sainte-Tulles, Cadarache,