Christian Europe—Renaissance France
1380 to 1560
Charles the Mad to Italian Wars
Era Summary Characters Timeline Reading Assignments
Characters—Renaissance France
| Character/Date | Short Biography |
|---|---|
Kings of France: Hundred Years War | |
| Charles VI 1368-1422 | (the Mad) King who was controlled by his uncles and queen after he went insane. Reigned for forty years during the Armagnac-Burgundy Civil War. |
| Philip the Bold 1342-1404 | Duke of Burgundy who founded the Burgundian-Valois dynasty. Served as primary Regent for Charles VI until his death in 1404. Feuded with the Duke of Orleans. |
| Charles VII 1403-1461 | (the Victorious) Disinherited as Dauphin until Joan of Arc escorted him to Rheims to be crowned. As king, ruled wisely and brought the 100 Years' War to a close. |
| Henry V 1403-1461 | (of England) Led a victorious army of longbowmen against France at Agincourt. Made regent of France by Treaty of Troyes, but died shortly afterward. |
Armagnac-Burgundian War | |
| Isabella of Bavaria 1370-1435 | Wicked queen of the Mad king Charles VI. Betrayed former allies and even her son Charles VII to make alliance with the English. |
| Count of Armagnac 1360-1418 | Constable of France and leader of the Armagnac pro-Charles VII faction during the later years of the Hundred Years War. |
| Yolande of Aragon 1384-1442 | Mother in law of Charles VII who supported Joan of Arc and protected the king in his wars against the English. |
| John the Fearless 1371-1419 | Duke of Burgundy and leader of the Burgundian faction until he was assassinated by the Armagnac faction.. |
1412–1431 |
Led the French Army to Victory at the Siege of New Orleans. Burned at the stake by English. |
Kings of France: Renaissance Period | |
| Louis XI 1423-1483 | (the Spider King) Wily and treacherous King who increased the power of the throne and took vengeance on his enemies. |
1433–1477 |
Duke of Burgundy who fought France in the Burgundian Wars. At his death his domains passed to the Hapsburgs. |
| Louis XII 1462-1515 | Only king from Valois-Orleans line. Married Anne of Brittany and became involved in the Italian Wars. |
1494–1547 |
King of France who was a patron of the arts, and was involved in the Italian Wars. |
| Henry II 1519-1559 | Brought Italian Wars to a close. Influenced by mistress Diane Poitiers and queen Catherine de Medici. |
Queens and Mistresses | |
1519–1589 |
Queen of France who is generally held responsible for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. |
1573–1642 |
Queen of Henry IV, and regent following his assassination. |
| Anne of Brittany 1477-1514 | Heiress to Duchy of Brittany. Compelled to marry two kings of France: Charles VIII, Louis XII. |
| Diane de Poitiers 1500-1566 | Influential courtier during the reign of Francis I, and chief mistress of Henry II. |
| Mary of Burgundy 1457-1482 | Daughter of Charles the Bold, and heiress to Duchy of Brittany. Married Maximillian, Holy Roman Emperor. |
| Anne of France 1461-1522 | Shrewd and powerful daughter of the 'Spider King' Louis XI who served as regent for her brother. Won Brittany for France, supported Henry Tudor in England. |
Ministers and Regents | |
| Jacques Coeur 1395-1456 | Exceedingly wealthy merchant of Bourges who became a chief advisor, diplomat, and master of the mint during the reign of Charles VII. Eventually disgraced, accused of various crimes, and exiled. |
| George Amboise 1488-1550 | Cardinal from a powerful family . |
| Duke of Guise 1519-1563 | Cousin, supporter, and Chamberlain of Henry II, prominent during the Italian Wars. Recaptured Calais for France. Ardent Catholic and enemy of the Huguenots. |
| Henry of Guise 1550-1588 | Assassinated Coligny in retribution for the murder of his father. Later founded the Catholic League. |
Huguenots | |
1519–1572 |
French protestant military hero who was assassinated at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. |
1533–1584 |
Hero of the Dutch Revolt. Led resistance to the Inquisition and Spanish tyranny. |
| Jeanne de Albret 1528-1572 | Queen of Navarre, mother of Henry IV, Huguenot leader. Possibly poisoned by Catherine de Medici. |
Martial Heroes and Explorers | |
1476–1524 |
Renowned French knight who was thought to embody the ideals of chivalry. |
1661–1700 |
Invalid King of Spain. Last of the Spanish Hapsburgs. His death precipitated the War of the Spanish Succession. |
1491–1557 |
Discovered the St. Lawrence Seaway and great lakes, while searching for Northwest Passage. |
Saints and Popes | |
1381–1447 |
French Abbess and founder of the Poor Clares. |
1443–1513 |
Renaissance character known as "Warrior Pope" for his defense of the Papal states. Commissioned Michelangelo and Raphael. |
1431–1503 |
Disgraced the office of Pope by appalling behavior, and worldly politicking. |
Timeline—Renaissance France
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Reign of the Mad King: Armagnac-Burgundian War | |
| | Reign of Charles VI. Regents were Uncles, called 'Princes of the Lilies'. |
| 1382 | French victory at Roosebeke ends rebellion of Ghent. (Death of van Artevele) |
| 1385 | Charles VI marries Isabella of Bavaria. |
| 1392 | First bout of insanity inflicts king soon after releasing regents, forming new privy council. |
| 1394 | Expulsion of Jews from France (second time, first time under Philip IV). |
| 1407 | Duke of Orleans (brother of King) murdered by John the Fearless Duke of Burgundy. |
| 1415 | Count of Armagnac as Constable of France leads opposition to Burgundy faction. |
| 1415 | Battle of Agincourt, victory for Henry V of England over Armagnacs. |
| 1415-17 | Death of two eldest sons of king, probably by poisoning. |
| 1417 | Count of Armagnac regent for Dauphin Charles. Queen mother Isabella imprisoned. |
| 1418 | By treachery, Paris is handed over to Burgundians. Isabella makes alliance with English. |
| 1419 | Duke of Burgundy slain by Armagnacs. Armagnacs retreat south, make Capital at Bourges. |
| 1420 | Treaty of Toyes, Henry V marries Catherine of Valois, made regent of France. |
| 1422 | Death of Henry V of England, Charles VI of France. Birth of Henry VI of England. |
Reign of the Charles VII (the Victorious): End of Hundred Year's War | |
| 1422 | Marriage of Charles VII to Marie of Anjou (daughter of Yolande of Aragon). |
| 1429 | Joan of Arc leads French to victory at Orleans, Charles VII crowned at Reims. |
| 1431 | John of Arc burned at the stake. |
| 1435 | Burgundians desert the English, sign the Treaty of Arras, Isabella of Bavaria dies. |
| 1436 | Jacques Coeur of Bourges, made Master of the Mint, advisor to Charles VII. |
| 1438 | Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges: Charles VII granted privilege to nominate bishops in France. |
| 1440 | Dauphin Louis takes part in "Praguerie" rebellion against his father Charles VII. |
| 1449 | Reconquest of Normandy with new 'professional' army. Roeun recaptured. |
| 1451 | Downfall of Jacques Coeur, wealthiest man in France. Property seized. |
| 1453 | English driven out of all French cities but Calais. End of Hundred Years' war. |
| 1461 | Death of Charles VII by starvation. Refused food for fear of poisoning. |
Reign Louis XI-Spider King: Burgundian Wars | |
| 1461-83 | Reign of Louis XI, "Spider-king". Cunning, treacherous, and vengeful king. |
| 1465 | "League of the Public Good" formed by enemies of Louis IX. They besiege him in Paris; he pretends to submit. |
| 1468 | Charles the Bold and Louis XI meet at Peronne, and together crush the rebellion at Liege. |
| 1469 | Louis XI founds chivalric "Order of St. Michael". |
| 1477 | Establishes Postal service controlled by the crown (used for spying on enemies). |
| 1477 | Louis XI adversary, the Duke of Burgundy, killed at the Battle of Nancy. Louis confiscates Duchy of Burgundy. |
| 1483 | Death of Louis XI |
Charles VIII and Louis XII: Italian Wars: 1495 to 1515 | |
| 1483-98 | Reign of Charles VIII, Regent was older sister, Anne of France. |
| 1488 | Dukes of Orleans and Brittany conspire against Charles VIII, declared traitors. |
| 1491 | After war between France and Brittany, Anne of Brittany marries Charles VIIII. |
| 1494 | Charles VIII invades Italy to claim Naples, but is repulsed by the League of Venice. |
| 1498 | Charles VIII dies of head injury. No issue, so crown passes to cousin. |
| Reign of Louis XII. Marries Anne of Britany, widow of Charles VIII. | |
| 1499 | Louis XII renews Italian Wars. Sends army to press claims in Milan and Naples. |
| 1508 | Papacy, France, Spain, Germany, establish League of Cambrai to defeat Venice. |
| 1510 | War in Italy takes a turn for the worse. Pope Julius II deserts alliance. |
| 1515 | Louis XII dies without and heir. Crown passes to second cousin from Valois-Ange |
Francis I and Henry II: Italian Wars: 1515 to 1560 | |
| 1515-47 | Reign of Francis I of France; married to Claude, daughter of Louis XII. |
| 1515 | With help of Venetians, Francis wins Milan at at Marignano, 1515. Knighted by Bayard. |
| 1516 | Leonardo da Vinci enters the service of Francis I after Milan is captured. |
| 1520 | Field of the Cloth of Gold, tournament between Francis I of France and Henry VIII. |
| 1524 | Death of Chevalier de Bayard, great French general of the Italian Wars. |
| 1525 | Francis defeated by Imperial forces at the Battle of Padua in Italy and captured. |
| 1529 | "The Ladies Peace" of Cambrai negotiated between Valois and Hapsburgs. |
| 1536 | Eldest son of Francis dies "suddenly" soon after Catherine de Medici arrives at court. |
| 1545 | Francis's captain Montmorency slays Waldensians, sells children as slaves. |
| 1520-47 | Construction of Paris landmarks: Louvre, Fontainebleau, Hotel de Ville, etc. Royal Library established. |
| 1547 | Reign of Henry II of France, married to . |
| 1541 | John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion" published. |
| 1559 | Henry II renounces claims in Italy, ends Italian Wars. |
| | Henry II dies at tournament celebrating end of Italian Wars |
| 1562-98 | French Wars of Religion fought mainly over political control rather than religion. |
Recommended Reading—Renaissance France
Core Reading Assignments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Guerber - The Story of Old France | Charles VI to Reign of Henry II (18) | |
| Marshall - A History of France | The Madness of Charles VI to Calais Returns to France (13) | |
Supplemental Recommendations | ||
| Macgregor - The Story of France | The Battle of Roosebek to Prince of Conde Prisoner (22) | |
| Morris - Historical Tales: French | Joan of Arc to The Life of a Traitor (6) | |
Easy Reading Selections | ||
| Finnemore - France: Peeps at History | House of Valois (cont.) to House of Valois (cont.) (2) | |
| Evans - Old Time Tales | The Story of Joan of Arc to Field of the Cloth of Gold (3) | |
| Stein - Gabriel and the Hour Book | entire book | |