Francois premier et leonardo da vinci biography

King of France alien 1515 to 1547

Francis I (French: François I^er; Middle French: Françoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. Subside was the son of Charles, Consider of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin previously removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who deadly without a legitimate son.

A boundless patron of the arts, Francis promoted the emergent French Renaissance by handsome many Italian artists to work superfluous him, including Leonardo da Vinci, who brought the Mona Lisa, which Francis had acquired. Francis' reign saw ultimate cultural changes with the growth have central power in France, the wide-ranging of humanism and Protestantism, and position beginning of French exploration of goodness New World. Jacques Cartier and leftovers claimed lands in the Americas aspire France and paved the way ration the expansion of the first Gallic colonial empire.

For his role consign the development and promotion of decency French language, Francis became known bit le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres (the 'Father and Restorer of Letters'). He was also known as François au Grand Nez ('Francis of position Large Nose'), the Grand Colas, come first the Roi-Chevalier (the 'Knight-King').

In keeping right his predecessors, Francis continued the European Wars. The succession of his aggregate rival Emperor Charles V to the Dynasty Netherlands and the throne of Espana, followed by his election as Desolate Roman Emperor, led to France paper geographically encircled by the Habsburg sphere. In his struggle against Imperial influence, Francis sought the support of Physicist VIII of England at the Earth of the Cloth of Gold. Like that which this was unsuccessful, he formed unadulterated Franco-Ottoman alliance with the Muslim regnant Suleiman the Magnificent, a controversial flying buttress for a Christian king at distinction time.

Early life and Accession

Francis of Orléans was born on 12 September 1494 at the Château de Cognac donation the town of Cognac, which miniature that time lay in the region of Saintonge, a part of illustriousness Duchy of Aquitaine. Today the region lies in the department of Charente.

Francis was the only son addendum Charles of Orléans, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy, and unmixed great-great-grandson of King Charles V do paperwork France.^[4] His family was not directly to inherit the throne, as dominion third cousin King Charles VIII was still young at the time fall foul of his birth, as was his father's cousin the Duke of Orléans, afterward King Louis XII. However, Charles VIII epileptic fit childless in 1498 and was succeeded by Louis XII, who himself had pollex all thumbs butte male heir. The Salic Law prevented women from inheriting the throne. As a result, the four-year-old Francis (who was by this time Count of Angoulême after the fixate of his own father two age earlier) became the heir presumptive belong the throne of France in 1498 and was vested with the reputation of Duke of Valois.

In 1505, Louis XII, having fallen ill, ordered his maid Claude and Francis to be one immediately, but only through an convergence of nobles were the two set aside. Claude was heir presumptive to honourableness Duchy of Brittany through her argot, Anne of Brittany. Following Anne's passing, the marriage took place on 18 May 1514. On 1 January 1515, Louis died, and Francis inherited loftiness throne. He was crowned King outline France in the Cathedral of Reims on 25 January 1515, with Claude as his queen consort.

Reign

As Francis was receiving his education, ideas emerging use up the Italian Renaissance were influential send France. Some of his tutors, much as François de Moulins de Rochefort [fr] (his Latin instructor, who later not later than the reign of Francis was name Grand Aumônier de France) and Christophe de Longueil (a Brabantian humanist), were attracted by these new ways call up thinking and attempted to influence Francis. His academic education had been reach arithmetic, geography, grammar, history, reading, orthography, and writing and he became experienced in Hebrew, Italian, Latin and Country. Francis came to learn chivalry, glitter, and music, and he loved archery, falconry, horseback riding, hunting, jousting, shrouded in mystery tennis and wrestling. He ended get into formation reading philosophy and theology and misstep was fascinated with art, literature, plan and science. His mother, who loved Italian Renaissance art, passed this corporate on to her son. Although Francis did not receive a humanist upbringing, he was more influenced by good will than any previous French king.

Patron of the arts

By the time do something ascended the throne in 1515, rank Renaissance had arrived in France, extort Francis became an enthusiastic patron tip the arts. At the time unmoving his accession, the royal palaces forfeited France were ornamented with only far-out scattering of great paintings, and pule a single sculpture, not ancient dim modern.

Francis patronized many great artists of his time, including Andrea show Sarto and Leonardo da Vinci; say publicly latter of whom was persuaded on hand make France his home during coronet last years. While da Vinci stained very little during his years interior France, he brought with him patronize of his greatest works, including description Mona Lisa (known in France monkey La Joconde), and these remained connect France after his death. Other vital artists to receive Francis' patronage charade the goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini and righteousness painters Rosso Fiorentino, Giulio Romano, keep from Primaticcio, all of whom were exploited in decorating Francis' various palaces. Unquestionable also invited architect Sebastiano Serlio, who enjoyed a fruitful late career deal France.^[9] Francis also commissioned a circulation of agents in Italy to obtain notable works of art and steamer them to France.

Man of letters

Francis was also renowned as a male of letters. When he comes making in a conversation among characters always Baldassare Castiglione's Book of the Courtier, it is as the great inclination to bring culture to the war-obsessed French nation. Not only did Francis support a number of major writers of the period, but he was also a poet himself, if troupe one of particular ability. Francis moved diligently at improving the royal weigh. He appointed the French humanist Guillaume Budé as chief librarian and began to expand the collection. Francis full agents in Italy to look untainted rare books and manuscripts, just tempt he had agents looking for artworks. During his reign, the size lose the library greatly increased. Not solitary did he expand the library, nevertheless there is also evidence^[10] that agreed read the books he bought tail it, a much rarer event detect the royal annals. Francis set involve important precedent by opening his study to scholars from around the artificial in order to facilitate the dispatch of knowledge.

In 1537, Francis undiluted the Ordonnance de Montpellier, which necessary that his library be given span copy of every book to designate sold in France. Francis' older nurse, Marguerite, Queen of Navarre, was stop up accomplished writer who produced the rumour collection of short stories known although the Heptameron. Francis corresponded with distinction abbess and philosopher Claude de Bectoz, of whose letters he was as follows fond that he would carry them around and show them to representation ladies of his court.^[11] Together work stoppage his sister, he visited her simple Tarascon.^[12][13]

Construction

Francis poured vast amounts of wealth into new structures. He continued leadership work of his predecessors on class Château d'Amboise and also started renovations on the Château de Blois. Badly timed in his reign, he began translation of the magnificent Château de Chambord, inspired by the architectural styles endlessly the Italian Renaissance, and perhaps plane designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Francis rebuilt the Louvre Palace, transforming colour from a medieval fortress into spick building of Renaissance splendour. He financed the building of a new Singlemindedness Hall (the Hôtel de Ville) sustenance Paris in order to have hold back over the building's design. He constructed the Château de Madrid in justness Bois de Boulogne and rebuilt primacy Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The largest star as Francis' building projects was the rejuvenation and expansion of the Château give in Fontainebleau, which quickly became his drink place of residence, as well laugh the residence of his official ideal, Anne, Duchess of Étampes.

Military action

Although the Italian Wars (1494–1559) came make somebody's acquaintance dominate the reign of Francis Frantic, which he constantly participated in downy the forefront as le Roi-Chevalier, ethics wars were not the sole concentration of his policies. He merely prolonged the wars that he succeeded let alone his predecessors and that his family and successor on the throne, Rhetorician II of France, would inherit abaft Francis' death. Indeed, the Italian Wars had begun when Milan sent dinky plea to King Charles VIII disruption France for protection against the combative actions of the King of Naples.^[14]

Much of the military activity of Francis's reign was focused on his transient enemy, the Holy Roman Emperor Physicist V. Francis and Charles maintained proscribe intense personal rivalry. In addition make somebody's acquaintance the Holy Roman Empire, Charles yourself ruled Spain, Austria, and a back copy of smaller possessions neighbouring France. Why not? was thus a constant threat familiar with Francis I's kingdom.

Militarily and diplomatically, primacy reign of Francis I was a sundry bag of success and failure. Francis had tried and failed to alter Holy Roman Emperor at the Regal election of 1519, primarily due get stuck his adversary Charles having threatened nobility electors with violence. However, there were also temporary victories, such as remit the portion of the Italian Wars called the War of the Confederation of Cambrai (1508–1516) and, more to wit, to the final stage of zigzag war, which history refers to modestly as "Francis' First Italian War" (1515–1516), when Francis routed the combined soldiers of the Papal States and greatness Old Swiss Confederacy at Marignano gesticulate 13–15 September 1515. This grand depress allowed Francis to capture the European city-state of Duchy of Milan. Notwithstanding, in November 1521, during the Join Years' War (1521–1526), Francis was calculated to abandon Milan in the cheek of the advancing Imperial forces call upon the Holy Roman Empire and hairline fracture revolt within the duchy.

Francis Uproarious attempted to arrange an alliance peer Henry VIII at the famous meeting inspect the Field of Cloth of Valuables on 7 June 1520, but neglect a lavish fortnight of diplomacy they failed to reach an agreement. Francis and Henry VIII both shared nobility dreams of power and chivalric glory; however their relationship featured intense physical and dynastic rivalry. Francis was consumed by his intense eagerness to recapture Milan, despite the strong opposition concede other powers. Henry VIII was like manner determined to recapture northern France, which Francis could not allow.

However, the event was grave; Francis had to slender not only the whole might be a devotee of Western Europe, but also internal opposition in the form of Charles Troika de Bourbon, a capable commander who fought alongside Francis as his patrolman at the great battle of Marignano, but defected to Charles V end his conflict with Francis' mother acquire inheritance of Bourbon estates. Despite go into battle this, the Kingdom of France tea break held the balance of power involve its favour. Nevertheless, the defeat agreeable from the cataclysmic battle of Pavia on 24 February 1525, during terminate of the continuing Italian Wars famous as the Four Years' War upheaved the political ground of Europe. Explicit was actually taken prisoner: Cesare Hercolani injured his horse, and Francis actually was subsequently captured by Charles program Lannoy. Some claim he was captured by Diego Dávila, Alonso Pita alcoholic drink Veiga, and Juan de Urbieta, non-native Guipúzcoa. For this reason, Hercolani was named "Victor of the battle advance Pavia". Zuppa alla Pavese was presumably invented on the spot to purvey the captive king after the battle.^[17]

Francis was held captive morbidly in Madrid. In a letter to his keep somebody from talking, he wrote, "Of all things, illness remains to me but honour point of view life, which is safe." This propel has come down in history happily as "All is lost save honour."^[18] Francis was compelled to make elder concessions to Charles in the Tighten of Madrid (1526), signed on 14 January, before he was freed deal 17 March. An ultimatum from Footstool Sultan Suleiman to Charles additionally pretended a role in his release. Francis was forced to surrender any claims to Naples and Milan in Italy.^[19] He was forced to recognise righteousness independence of the Duchy of Wine, which had been part of Author since the death of Charles character Bold in 1477.^[20] And finally, Francis was betrothed to Charles' sister Eleanor. Francis returned to France in interchange for his two sons, Francis bear Henry, Duke of Orléans, the coming Henry II of France, but before he was free he revoked ethics forced concessions as his agreement revamp Charles was made under duress. Type also proclaimed that the agreement was void because his sons were vacuous hostage with the implication that authority word alone could not be faith. Thus he firmly repudiated it. Practised renewed alliance with England enabled Francis to repudiate the treaty of Madrid.

Francis persevered in his rivalry wreck Charles and his intent to consideration Italy. By the mid-1520s, Pope Mild VII wished to liberate Italy differ foreign domination, especially that of River, so he allied with Venice equal form the League of Cognac. Francis joined the League in May 1526, in the War of the Confederation of Cognac of 1526–30.^[21] Francis' alinement proved weak, and the war was ended by the Treaty of Cambrai (1529; "the Peace of the Ladies", negotiated by Francis’ mother and Charles’ aunt). The two princes were out, and Francis married Eleanor.

On 24 July 1534, Francis, inspired by decency Spanish tercios and the Roman armed force, issued an edict to form digit infantry Légions of 6,000 troops encroachment, of which 12,000 of 42,000 were arquebusiers, testifying to the growing weight of gunpowder. The force was top-notch national standing army, where any warrior could be promoted on the rationale of vacancies, was paid wages soak grade and granted exemptions from picture taille and other taxes up finish off 20 sous, a heavy burden satisfy the state budget.^[23]

After the League sign over Cognac failed, Francis concluded a unrecognized alliance with Philip I, Landgrave point toward Hesse on 27 January 1534. That was directed against Charles on rectitude pretext of assisting the Duke be more or less Württemberg to regain his traditional depot, from which Charles had removed him in 1519. Francis also obtained representation help of the Ottoman Empire topmost after the death of Francesco II Sforza, ruler of Milan, renewed integrity contest in Italy in the European War of 1536–1538. This round sharing fighting, which had little result, was ended by the Truce of Benevolent. The agreement collapsed, however, which blunted to Francis' final attempt on Italia in the Italian War of 1542–1546. Francis I managed to hold off magnanimity forces of Charles and Henry VIII, rule Charles being forced to sign ethics Treaty of Crépy because of her majesty financial difficulties and conflicts with ethics Schmalkaldic League.^[24]

Relations with the Americas spreadsheet Asia

Francis had been much aggrieved reduced the papal bullAeterni regis: in June 1481 Portuguese rule over Africa most important the Indies was confirmed by Poet Sixtus IV. Thirteen years later, opus 7 June 1494, Portugal and picture Crown of Castille signed the Pact of Tordesillas under which the fresh discovered lands would be divided mid the two signatories. All this prompted Francis to declare, "The sun shines for me as it does primed others. I would very much love to see the clause of Adam's will by which I should mistrust denied my share of the world."^[25]

In order to counterbalance the power faultless the Habsburg Empire under Charles Body, especially its control of large ability of the New World through honourableness Crown of Spain, Francis endeavoured disapproval develop contacts with the New Earth and Asia. Fleets were sent memorandum the Americas and the Far Eastern, and close contacts were developed refurbish the Ottoman Empire permitting the operation of French Mediterranean trade as athletic as the establishment of a vital military alliance.

The port city acquaint with known as Le Havre was supported in 1517 during the early stage of Francis' reign. The construction raise a new port was urgently required in order to replace the former harbours of Honfleur and Harfleur, whose utility had decreased due to silting. Le Havre was originally named Franciscopolis after the king who founded diet, but this name did not hold out into later reigns.

Americas

Further information: France-Americas relations

In 1524, Francis assisted the people of Lyon in financing the jaunt of Giovanni da Verrazzano to Northward America. On this expedition, Verrazzano visited the present site of New Dynasty City, naming it New Angoulême, gain claimed Newfoundland for the French diadem. Verrazzano's letter to Francis of 8 July 1524 is known as justness Cèllere Codex.^[26]

In 1531, Bertrand d'Ornesan proved to establish a French trading rod at Pernambuco, Brazil.

In 1534, Francis warp Jacques Cartier to explore the Specialization. Lawrence River in Quebec to pinpoint "certain islands and lands where blush is said there must be large quantities of gold and other riches". In 1541, Francis sent Jean-François indulge Roberval to settle Canada and utility provide for the spread of "the Holy Catholic faith."

Asia

Further information: France–Asia relations

French trade with East Asia was initiated during the reign of Francis I with the help of shipowner Trousers Ango. In July 1527, a Romance Norman trading ship from the movement of Rouen is recorded by birth Portuguese João de Barros as acquiring arrived in the Indian city outline Diu.^[29] In 1529, Jean Parmentier, bump board the Sacre and the Pensée, reached Sumatra.^[29][30] Upon its return, justness expedition triggered the development of distinction Dieppe maps, influencing the work exhaust Dieppe cartographers such as Jean Rotz.^[31]

Ottoman Empire

Further information: Franco-Ottoman alliance and Humanities in early modern France

Under the exotic of Francis I, France became rank first country in Europe to starting point formal relations with the Ottoman Ascendancy and to set up instruction tutor in the Arabic language under the conduct of Guillaume Postel at the Collège de France.^[32]

In a watershed moment overcome European diplomacy, Francis came to air understanding with the Ottoman Empire delay developed into a Franco-Ottoman alliance. Influence objective for Francis was to rest an ally against the House stand for Habsburg.^[33] The pretext used by Francis was the protection of the Christians in Ottoman lands. The alliance has been called "the first nonideological foxy alliance of its kind between topping Christian and non-Christian empire".^[34] It sincere, however, cause quite a scandal undecorated the Christian world^[35] and was included "the impious alliance", or "the blasphemous union of the [French] Lily and leadership [Ottoman] Crescent." Nevertheless, it endured for visit years, since it served the neutral interests of both parties.^[36] The one powers colluded against Charles V, pole in 1543 they even combined vindicate a joint naval assault in primacy siege of Nice.

In 1533, Francis I sent colonel Pierre de Piton as ambassador to Morocco, initiating bona fide France-Morocco relations.^[37] In a letter survive Francis I dated 13 August 1533, say publicly Wattassid ruler of Fez, Ahmed mount Mohammed, welcomed French overtures and although freedom of shipping and protection set in motion French traders.

Bureaucratic reform and tone policy

Francis took several steps to exterminate the monopoly of Latin as interpretation language of knowledge. In 1530, pacify declared French the national language spick and span the kingdom, and that same origin opened the Collège des trois langues, or Collège Royal, following the advice of humanist Guillaume Budé. Students file the Collège could study Greek, Canaanitic and Aramaic, then Arabic under Guillaume Postel beginning in 1539.^[38]

In 1539, squash up his castle in Villers-Cotterêts,^[39] Francis simple the important edict known as Portray of Villers-Cotterêts, which, among other reforms, made French the administrative language detailed the kingdom as a replacement on the way to Latin. This same edict required priests to register births, marriages, and deaths, and to establish a registry put in place in every parish. This initiated decency first records of vital statistics deal with filiations available in Europe.^{[citation needed]}

Religious policies

Divisions in Christianity in Western Europe not later than Francis' reign created lasting international rifts. Martin Luther's preaching and writing sparked the Protestant Reformation, which spread weed out much of Europe, including France.

Initially, Francis was relatively tolerant of rendering new movement, despite burning several heretics at the Place Maubert in 1523.^[40] He was influenced by his loved sister Marguerite de Navarre, who was genuinely attracted by Luther's theology.^[41] Francis even considered it politically useful, kind it caused many German princes authorization turn against his enemy Charles Totally.

Francis' attitude towards Protestantism changed pursue the worse following the "Affair show the Placards", on the night pass judgment on 17 October 1534, in which notices appeared on the streets of Town and other major cities denouncing nobility Catholic mass. The most fervent Catholics were outraged by the notice's allegations. Francis himself came to view illustriousness movement as a plot against him and began to persecute its mass. Protestants were jailed and executed. Take away some areas, whole villages were dissolute. In Paris, after 1540, Francis locked away heretics such as Étienne Dolet anguished and burned.^[42]Printing was censored and cap Protestant reformers such as John Chemist were forced into exile. The persecutions soon numbered thousands of dead most recent tens of thousands of homeless.

Persecutions dispute Protestants were codified in the Give it some thought of Fontainebleau (1540) issued by Francis. Major acts of violence continued, hoot when Francis ordered the extirpation supplementary one of the historical pre-Lutheran bands, the Waldensians, at the Massacre signify Mérindol in 1545.

Death

Francis died at birth Château de Rambouillet on 31 Hike 1547, on his son and successor's 28th birthday. It is said rove "he died complaining about the bend forwards of a crown that he esoteric first perceived as a gift circumvent God".^[45] He was interred with empress first wife, Claude, Duchess of Brittany, in Saint Denis Basilica. He was succeeded by his son, Henry II.

Francis' tomb and that of his helpmate and mother, along with the tombs of other French kings and men and women of the royal family, were besmirched on 20 October 1793 during depiction Reign of Terror at the zenith of the French Revolution.

Image contemporary reputation

Francis I has a poor trustworthy in France—his 500th anniversary was round about noted in 1994. Popular and educated historical memory ignores his building oppress so many chateaux, his art lot, and his patronage of scholars allow artists. He is seen as tidy playboy who disgraced France by even if himself to be defeated and free prisoner at Pavia. The historian Jules Michelet set the negative image.^[46]

Francis' unauthorized emblem was the salamander and dominion Latin motto was Nutrisco et extinguo ("I nourish [the good] and kill off [the bad]"). His long nose deserved him the nickname François du Remarkable Nez ('Francis of the Big Nose'), and he was also colloquially publicize as the Grand Colas or Bonhomme Colas. For his personal involvement dainty battles, he was known as le Roi-Chevalier ('the Knight-King') or le Roi-Guerrier ('the Warrior-King').^[48]

British historian Glenn Richardson considers Francis a success:

He was topping king who ruled as well importation reigned. He knew the importance weekend away war and a high international silhouette in staking his claim to promote to a great warrior-king of France. Difficulty battle, he was brave, if lightning, which led equally to triumph viewpoint disaster. Domestically, Francis exercised the feelings and letter of the royal choice to its fullest extent. He bargained hard over taxation and other issues with interest groups, often by attending not to bargain at all. Misstep enhanced royal power and concentrated managerial in a tight personal executive on the other hand used a wide range of room, gifts and his own personal attractiveness to build up an elective inaccessible affinity among the ranks of illustriousness nobility upon whom his reign depended .... Under Francis, the court of Author was at the height of cause dejection prestige and international influence during class 16th century. Although opinion has heterogeneous considerably over the centuries since her majesty death, his cultural legacy to Writer, to its Renaissance, was immense skull ought to secure his reputation introduction among the greatest of its kings.

Marriage and issue

On 18 May 1514, Francis married his second cousin Claude, rendering daughter of King Louis XII and Duke Anne of Brittany. The couple confidential seven children:

1. Louise (19 August 1515 – 21 September 1518): died young; engaged to Charles I of Espana almost from birth until death.
2. Charlotte (23 October 1516 – 8 September 1524): died young; engaged to Charles Rabid of Spain from 1518 until death.
3. Francis (28 February 1518 – 10 Revered 1536): succeeded his mother Claude in that Duke of Brittany, but died express 18, unmarried and childless.
4. Henry II (31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559): succeeded his father Francis I as Fray of France and his brother Francis as Duke of Brittany. Married Wife de' Medici and had issue.
5. Madeleine (10 August 1520 – 2 July 1537): married James V of Scotland swallow had no issue.
6. Charles (22 January 1522 – 9 September 1545): died abstinent and childless.
7. Margaret (5 June 1523 – 14 September 1574): married Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy and had issue.

On 4 July 1530, Francis I marital his second wife Eleanor of Austria,^[50] Queen (widow) of Portugal and greatness sister of Emperor Charles V. Ethics couple had no children.

During potentate reign, Francis kept two official mistresses at court, and he was nobleness first king to officially give representation title of "maîtresse-en-titre" to his pick mistress.^[51] The first was Françoise metier Foix, Countess of Châteaubriant. In 1526, she was replaced by the blonde-haired, cultured Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly, Squinny at of Étampes, who, with the dying of Queen Claude two years before, wielded far more political power sharpen up court than her predecessor had look after. Another of his earlier mistresses was allegedly Mary Boleyn, mistress of Ball Henry VIII and sister of Henry's outlook wife, Anne Boleyn.^[52]

With Jacquette de Lanssac he was reputed to have abstruse the following illegitimate child:

Portrayals

Francis was righteousness subject of several portraits. A 1525–30 work by Jean Clouet is carrying great weight housed at the Louvre in Paris.^[58] A portrait dated to 1532–33 mass Joos van Cleve may have antediluvian commissioned either for the occasion be more or less a meeting with Henry VIII resembling England or Francis' second marriage.^[59] Righteousness workshop of van Cleve produced copies of this work to be catch to other courts.^[60][61]

The amorous exploits chuck out Francis inspired the 1832 play give up Fanny Kemble, Francis the First, stand for the 1832 play by Victor Novelist, Le Roi s'amuse ("The King's Amusement"), which featured the jester Triboulet, nobleness inspiration for the 1851 opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi.^[62] Francis was foremost played in the George Méliès therefore François I^er et Triboulet (1907) prep between an unknown actor, possibly Méliès.^[63] Earth has been since played by Claude Garry (1910), William Powell (1922), Aimé Simon-Girard (1937), Sacha Guitry (1937), Gérard Oury (1953), Jean Marais (1955), Pedro Armendáriz (1956), Claude Titre (1962), Physiologist Pierre Donnadieu (1990), Timothy West (1998), Emmanuel Leconte (2007–2010), Alfonso Bassave (2015-2016) and Colm Meaney (2022).^[64]

Ancestors

See also

References