Francis I of France (King)

Profession: King

Biography: Francis I was the first king from the Angoulême branch of the House of Valois. As a humanist and Renaissance King Francis encouraged the arts. He provided Leonardo da Vinci with a pension and acquired the Mona Lisa.

His reign was dominated by conflict; primarily with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and especially after Charles inherited territories that effectively surrounded France. To counter this, Francis tried an ultimately unsuccessful alliance with English King Henry VIII at their famous Cloth of Gold meeting.

At the Battle of Pavia in 1525 Francis was captured by the forces of Charles V and forced to give up territorial claims, two of his sons were also taken hostage.

To counter this Francis became the first Christian King to forge an alliance with an Ottoman Sultan by reaching an understanding with Suleiman the Magnificent.

Born: September 12, 1494
Birthplace: Cognac, France
Star Sign: Virgo

Died: March 31, 1547 (aged 52)
Cause of Death: It is said that "he died complaining about the weight of a crown that he had first perceived as a gift from God"

Historical Events

• 1515-01-01 Francis, Duke of Angouleme succeeds King Louis XII as Francis I of France
• 1515-09-13 First day of two-day Battle of Marignano: Francis I's French army defeats Swiss army force near Milan
• 1520-06-07 Field of the Cloth of Gold; meeting begins between English Henry VIII and King Francis I of France at Balinghem, France
• 1521-04-22 French King Francis I declares war against Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the Habsburg Empire
• 1524-06-28 Charles III, Duke of Bourbon occupies Provence during his dispute with French King Francis I
• 1525-02-24 Battle of Pavia: Holy Roman Emperor Charles V's troops defeat the French killing or wounded 5,000 and capturing French King Francis I
• 1526-01-14 Charles V and Francis I sign the Treaty of Madrid, forcing Francis to give up claims to Burgundy, Italy and Flanders
• 1526-03-15 French Dauphin Francis and his brother Henry exchanged as hostages for their father Francis I, beginning of four years of captivity in Spain under the Treaty of Madrid
• 1526-03-17 French King Francis I freed from Spain
• 1526-03-26 King Francis I returns from Spanish captivity to France
• 1527-04-30 Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France sign the Treaty of Westminster, pledging to combine their forces against Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in attempt to win War of the League of Cognac
• 1531-06-09 Pope Clement VII and French King Francis I sign secret treaty against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
• 1532-06-23 Treaty of Closer Amity With France / Pommeraye Treaty signed between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France against Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
• 1534-01-27 French King Francis I signs classified treaty with Landgrave of Hesse
• 1537-12-28 French king Francis I issues decree to booksellers and printers requiring them to deposit their work in the King's Library, world's first legal depository requirement
• 1538-06-18 Truce of Nice signed between Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and French King Francis I ending the Italian War of 1536-38
• 1538-12-16 French King Francis I orders a renewed pursuit of Protestants
• 1541-01-15 King Francis I of France commissions Jean-Francois Roberval to settle the province of New France
• 1544-09-18 Peace of Crépy signed by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V & French King Francis I ending the Fourth Hapsburg-Valois War
• 1545-04-12 French King Francis I orders the Waldensian Protestants of the village of Mérindol to be punished, setting off a massacre
• 1547-03-31 Henry II succeeds Francis I as King of France

Personal Life

• 1514-05-18 Francis, Duke of Valois, later Francis I, King of France, marries Claude, Duchess of Brittany

References

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