Francis I of France

Francis I (French: François Ier) (September 12 1494 – July 31 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (French: le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres), was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547.

Related Topics:
French - September 12 - 1494 - July 31 - 1547 - France - 1515 - Reims

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Francis I, a member of the Valois Dynasty, was born at Cognac, Charente, the son of Charles d'Angoulême (1459 – January 1 1496), 1st cousin of King Louis XII, and of Louise of Savoy (September 11 1476 – September 22 1531). He married Claude of France, the daughter of Louis XII. Because of the Salic Law that stated that women could not inherit the throne of France, the throne passed to Francis I at the death of Louis XII, as he was the descendant of the eldest surviving male line of the Capetian Dynasty. Claude of France became queen Consort.

Related Topics:
Valois Dynasty - Cognac - Charente - Charles d'Angoulême - 1459 - January 1 - 1496 - Louis XII - Louise of Savoy - September 11 - 1476 - September 22 - 1531 - Claude of France - Salic Law

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Francis I is considered to be France's first Renaissance monarch. His reign saw France make immense cultural advances. He was a contemporary of King Henry VIII of England and of Charles V ruler of a multinational European empire, his great rivals.

Related Topics:
Renaissance - Henry VIII of England - Charles V

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When young Francis ascended the throne in 1515 he was a king with unprecedented humanist credentials. While his two predecessors, Charles VIII and Louis XII, had spent much of their reigns concerned with Italy they did not much embrace the new intellectual movements coming out of it. Both monarchs continued in the same patterns of behavior that had dominated the French monarchy for centuries. They are considered the last of the medieval French monarchs, but they did lay the groundwork for the Renaissance to come into full swing in France.

Related Topics:
1515 - Humanist - Charles VIII - Louis XII - Italy

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Contact between the French and Italians in the long running series of wars under Charles and Louis had brought new ideas to France by the time the young Francis was receiving his education. Thus a number of his tutors, such as Desmoulins, his Latin instructor, and Christophe de Longeuil were schooled in the new ways of thinking and they attempted to imbue Francis with it. Francis' mother also had a great interest in Renaissance art, which she passed down to her son. One certainly cannot say that Francis received a humanist education; most of his teachers had not yet been affected by the Renaissance. One can, however, state that he clearly received an education more oriented towards humanism than any previous French king.

Related Topics:
Desmoulins - Christophe de Longeuil

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By the time Francis ascended the throne in 1515 the Renaissance had clearly arrived in France, and Francis was an important supporter of the change. Francis became a major patron of the arts. He lent his support to many of the greatest artists of his time and encouraged them to come to France. Some did work for him, including such greats as Andrea del Sarto, and Leonardo da Vinci, who Francis convinced to leave Italy in the last and least productive part of his life. While Leonardo did little painting in his years in France, he brought with him many of his great works, such as the Mona Lisa, and these stayed in France upon his death.

Related Topics:
1515 - Andrea del Sarto - Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa

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Other major artists who Francis employed include the goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, and the painters Rosso and Primaticcio, all of whom were heavily employed in decorating Francis' various palaces. Francis employed a number of agents in Italy who endeavoured to procure artworks by Italian masters such as Michelangelo, Titian, and Raphael and ship them to France. These agents had some notable successes, even if plans to try to move Leonardo's Last Supper to France proved impractical. When Francis ascended the throne the royal palaces were decorated with only a scattering of great paintings, and not a single piece of sculpture either ancient or modern. It is during Francis' reign that the magnificent art collection of the French kings that can still be seen in the Louvre was truly begun.

Related Topics:
Benvenuto Cellini - Rosso - Primaticcio - Michelangelo - Titian - Raphael - Last Supper - Louvre

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