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Known as Francis of Angoulême (in French, François d'Angoulême) until he succeeded his cousin at age 20, Francis was a passionate, intelligent, chivalrous knight who loved life. His trusting nature made him a poor politician, but he nevertheless saw success as a conqueror and a peacemaker before the accession of his bitter rival, Emperor Charles V, made his life and reign a tragedy. Late in his reign, Francis' wish to diffuse the fanaticism of Reformation conflict was overrun by his staunchly Catholic ministers, and France became the site of severe persecutions of Protestants.
As a young man, Francis was also a humanist and sponsor of the arts, and is sometimes considered France's first "Renaissance King." He supported and encouraged many fine artists, among them Leonardo da Vinci, who died at Cloux (now called 'le Clos-Lucé'), the summer residence of the French king.
Important Dates
Born: Sept. 12, 1494
Crowned: Jan. 1, 1515
Cloth of Gold Meeting Ends: June 24, 1520
Captured at Battle of Pavia: Feb. 24, 1525
Treaty of Madrid ends imprisonment: Jan. 14, 1526
Died: March 31, 1547
On the Web
Biographies
Catholic Encyclopedia: Francis I
Lucid bio by Georges Goyau.Francis I
Extensive, multipage biography at Infoplease.Francis I of France
Concise, thorough, heavily-hyperlinked bio at Wikipedia.
Images
François Ier en déité (Francis I as a God)
A portrait from the Creating French Culture exhibit at the Library of Congress.
In Print
The links below will take you to mySimon, where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
Prince of the Renaissance: The Golden Life of François I
by Desmond SewardRenaissance Warrior and Patron: The Reign of Francis I
by Robert J. KnechtFrench Renaissance Monarchy: Francis I & Henry II
by Robert J. Knecht
Fiction
King Francis I: A Play
by Francis Warner
Related Resources
Medieval France
General history, people, places, maps and more about France in the Middle Ages.Renaissance Studies
Index of resources for the study of the Renaissance movements, the political and economic circumstances that allowed them to flourish, and the events surrounding artistic growth.
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