Anne of Brittany
Queen consort of France
Portrait of Anne of Brittany by Jean Bourdichon.
Titles	suo jure Duchess of Brittany
Born	January 25, 1477(1477-01-25)
Birthplace	Nantes, Brittany
Died	January 9, 1514 (aged 36)
Place of death	Blois, France
Consort	6 December 1491 - 7 April 1498; 8 January 1499 - 9 January 1514
Consort to	Charles VIII Louis XII
Issue	By Charles VIII: Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France; By Louis XII: Claude, Duchess of Brittany, Renée, Duchess of Ferrara
Royal House	Dreux-Montfort
Father	Francis II, Duke of Brittany
Mother	Margaret of Foix

Anne of Brittany (25 January 1477 – 9 January 1514 ^[1]), also known as Anna of Brittany (French: Anne de Bretagne; Breton: Anna Vreizh), was a Breton aristocrat, who was to become queen to two successive French kings, and ruling Duchess of Brittany. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Blois is a city and commune in France, the Préfecture (capital of the Loir-et-Cher département, situated This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death Louis XII ( June 27, 1462 – January 1, 1515) called "the Father of the People" (Le Père du Peuple was the thirty-fifth king Charles Orlando Dauphin of France (Charles Orland Dauphin de France ( 11 October 1492 &ndash 16 December 1495) was the eldest son and heir of Renée of France ( October 25, 1510 &ndash June 12, 1574 erroneous Montargis 1575 before Sunday 19th of June see a letter of king Henri III The House of Montfort reigned in the Duchy of Brittany from 1365 to 1514 Francis II (in Breton Frañsez II, in French François II) ( June 23 1433 &ndash September 9 1488 Marguerite de Foix, (c 1453 &ndash 15 May 1486, Nantes) was by marriage Duchess of Brittany from 1474 to 1486 Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany She was born in Nantes, in Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Francis II (in Breton Frañsez II, in French François II) ( June 23 1433 &ndash September 9 1488 Marguerite de Foix, (c 1453 &ndash 15 May 1486, Nantes) was by marriage Duchess of Brittany from 1474 to 1486 Her maternal grandparents were Gaston IV of Foix and Eleanor of Navarre. Gaston IV Count of Foix Viscount of Bearn ( 27 November 1422 - 25 July / 28 July 1472) was a French nobleman who founded a brief-ruling Eleanor of Aragon (Leonor ( Olite, Navarre (now Spain) 2 February 1426 &ndash Tudela Navarre (now Spain) 12 February 1479 Upon her father's death, she became sovereign Duchess of Brittany, Countess of Nantes, Montfort and Richmont and Viscountess of Limoges. In her time, she was the richest European woman.

Early life

Anne was the only child of Francis and Margaret to survive childhood (she had a younger sister, Isabeau, who died in 1490). Accordingly, she was brought up as the heiress to the Duchy. She was given a good education under the guidance of Françoise de Dinan, Lady of Laval and Chateaubriant, and the poet Jean Meschinot.

Since the Breton War of Succession, Brittany had been understood to operate according to semi-Salic Law – women could only inherit if the male line had died out. The Breton War of Succession was a conflict between the Houses of Blois and Montfort for control of the Duchy of Brittany. By the time Anne was born, her father was the only male left of the Breton House of Dreux. The Counts of Dreux in France took their title from the chief stronghold of their domain the château of Dreux, which lies near the boundary between Normandy The War of Succession had ended with an agreement that, in the absence of a male heir, the heirs of Jeanne of Penthievre would succeed. After a century, however, this agreement had been forgotten. Thus, in 1486 Anne's father had her recognised as heiress by the Breton estates; however, the question of her marriage remained a diplomatic issue. Francis had no intention of allowing Brittany to be absorbed by France. Therefore, he sought for his daughter a marriage with a figure capable of withstanding French power.

Brittany being an attractive prize, Anne had no shortage of suitors. She was officially promised in marriage to Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Edward IV of England in 1481; however, the boy disappeared, and was presumed dead, soon after the death of Edward IV and the accession of his brother, Richard III. Edward V ( 4 November 1470 &ndash 1483? was the King of England from 9 April 1483 until his deposition two months later Edward IV ( 28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October Richard III ( 2 October 1452 &ndash 22 August 1485) was King of England from 1483 until his death Others who bid for her hand included Maximilian of Austria (the widower of Mary of Burgundy, another heiress), Alain d'Albret, Jean de Châlons (Prince of Orange) and even the married Louis, Duke of Orleans. Mary, called Mary the Rich ( 13 February, 1457 &ndash Louis XII ( June 27, 1462 – January 1, 1515) called "the Father of the People" (Le Père du Peuple was the thirty-fifth king

In 1488, however, the armies of Francis II were defeated at Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier, ending the Guerre folle between Brittany and France. In the Treaty of Sablé, which concluded the peace settlement, the Duke was forced to accept clauses stipulating that his daughters were not to marry without the approval of the King of France. The Treaty of Sablé (also known as the Treaty of Verger or the Treaty of Le Verger) was signed on August 20, 1488 in Sablé between Francis died soon afterward, on 9 September 1488, as a result of a fall from his horse. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Anne became Duchess, and Brittany was plunged into fresh crisis, leading to the last Franco-Breton war.

Duchess of Brittany

The first necessary move for Anne was to secure a husband, preferably anti-France and powerful enough to maintain Breton independence. Maximilian I of Austria was considered to be the most suitable candidate. The marriage with Maximilian, which took place at Rennes by proxy on 19 December 1490, gained Anne the title Queen of the Romans but proved to have serious consequences. King of the Romans ( Latin: Rex Romanorum) was the title used by the elected ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperator futurus The French regarded it as a serious provocation: it not only violated the Treaty of Verger (the King of France not having consented to the marriage), but also placed the rule of Brittany in the hands of an enemy of France. The marriage also proved ill-timed: the Habsburgs were too busy in Hungary to pay any serious attention to Brittany, and the Castilians were busy fighting in Granada. Although both Castile and England sent small numbers of troops to supplement the Ducal army, neither wished for open warfare with France. Thus, the Spring of 1491 saw new successes by the French general La Trémoille, and Charles VIII of France came to lay siege to Rennes, where Anne was. Louis II de la Trémoille or La Trimouille ( September 29 1460 – 1525 was a late medieval/early renaissance French general Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death

After Maximilian failed to come to his bride's assistance, Rennes fell. Anne gave in and was engaged to Charles in the vault of the Jacobins in Rennes. Then, escorted by her army (and thus apparently set free, in order to prove that she willingly consented to the marriage), Anne went to Langeais, to be married. Although Austria made diplomatic protests, claiming that the marriage was illegal because the bride was unwilling, that she was already legally married to Maximilian, and that Charles was legally betrothed to Margaret of Austria, Maximilian's daughter, Anne celebrated her second wedding at the castle of Langeais on 6 December, and married King Charles VIII of France.

The marriage was subsequently validated by Pope Innocent VIII on February 15, 1492. Pope Innocent VIII (1432 &ndash July 25, 1492) born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo) was Pope from 1484 until his death Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor The marriage contract provided that whichever spouse outlived the other would retain possession of Brittany; however, it was also agreed that if Charles died without male heirs, Anne would marry his successor, thus ensuring the French Kings a second chance to permanently annex Brittany.

The porcupine of Brittany, triumphantly displayed over the main portal of the Château de Blois

Queen of France

Anne's first marriage began badly: she brought two beds with her when she came to marry Charles, and the King and Queen often lived apart. The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France. She was anointed and crowned Queen of France at Saint-Denis on 8 February 1492; she was forbidden by her husband to use the title "Duchess of Brittany", which became a bone of contention between the two. When her husband fought in the wars in Italy, the regency powers were exercised by his sister Anne of Beaujeu. Anne of France (or Anne of Beaujeu) ( Genappe, 3 April 1461 &ndash 14 November 1522, Chantelle) was the Pregnant for most of her married life, Anne lived primarily in the royal castles of Amboise, Loaches and Plessis or in the towns of Lyon, Grenoble or Moulins (when the king was in Italy). She became Queen of Sicily and Jerusalem with the conquest of Naples by Charles VIII.

The marriage produced four living children, none of whom survived early childhood. Only the first, Charles Orland (11 October 1492 – 16 December 1495), survived infancy. Charles Orlando Dauphin of France (Charles Orland Dauphin de France ( 11 October 1492 &ndash 16 December 1495) was the eldest son and heir of A healthy and intelligent child, he was doted on by his parents, who both suffered terrible grief when he died suddenly of the measles. After him was born Charles, who lived for less than a month; and Francis and Anne, who each died almost immediately after being born. These tragedies caused a great deal of pain to Anne, who prayed openly for a son after the death of Francis.

Widowhood and remarriage

Court of the Ladies of Queen Anne of Brittany, Miniature representing this lady weeping on account of the absence of her husband during the Italian war. --Manuscript of the "Epistres Envoyées au Roi" (Sixteenth Century), obtained by the Coislin Fund for the Library of St. Germain des Pres in Paris, now in the Library of St. Petersburg.

When Charles VIII died in 1498, Anne was 21 years old and childless. Legally, she was now obliged to marry the new king, Louis XII; however, he was already married, to Jeanne, daughter of Louis XI and sister to Charles VIII. Louis XII ( June 27, 1462 – January 1, 1515) called "the Father of the People" (Le Père du Peuple was the thirty-fifth king Jeanne de France ( 23 April 1464 &ndash 4 February 1505) was Duchess of Berry and 1473–1498 duchess consort of Orléans Louis XI ( July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483) called the Prudent (le Prudent and the Universal Spider ( Middle On 19 August 1498, at Étampes, she agreed to marry Louis if he obtained an annulment from Jeanne within a year. If she was gambling that the annulment would be denied, she lost: Louis's first marriage was dissolved by the Pope before the end of the year.

In the interim, in October 1498, Anne returned to rule Brittany. She restored the faithful Philippe de Montauban to the chancellery of Brittany, named the Prince of Orange as Hereditary Lieutenant General of Brittany, convened the Estates of Brittany, and ordered production of a coin bearing her name. She took the opportunity to tour the Duchy, visiting many places she had never been able to see as a child. She made triumphal entries into the cities of the duchy, where her vassals received her sumptuously.

Anne's third marriage ceremony, on 8 January 1499 (she wore white, setting a precedent for future brides), was concluded under conditions radically different from those of the second. She was no longer a child, but was a Queen dowager, and was determined to ensure the recognition of her rights as sovereign duchess from now on. Although her new husband exercised the ruler's powers in Brittany, he accepted the title of duke consort, formally recognizing her right to the title "Duchess of Brittany" and issuing decisions in her name.

As Duchess, Anne fiercely defended the independence of her Duchy. She arranged the marriage of her daughter, Claude, to Charles of Luxembourg in 1501, to reinforce the Franco-Spanish alliance and ensure French success in the Italian Wars; however, Louis broke off the marriage when it became likely that Anne would not produce a male heir. Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was Instead, Louis arranged a marriage between Claude and the heir to the French throne, Francis of Angouleme. Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 Anne, determined to maintain Breton independence, refused until death to sanction the marriage, pushing instead for Claude to marry Charles, or for the Duchy to be inherited by her other daughter, Renee. The marriage of Claude and Francis eventually took place in the year following Anne's death.

Death

Anne failed to survive the winter of 1513-1514, dying of a kidney-stone attack at the Chateau of Blois. She was buried in the necropolis of Saint Denis. Her funeral was of exceptional length, lasting 40 days, and inspiring all future French royal funerals until the 18th century.

Reliquary of Anne of Brittany

According to her will, her heart was placed in a raised enamel gold reliquary, then transported to Nantes to be deposited, on March 19, 1514, in the vault of the Carmelite friars, in the tomb made for her parents, later being transferred to the Saint-Pierre cathedral. The reliquary of the heart of the Anne, Duchess of Brittany is a box oval, bivalvular, made of a sheet of gold pushed back and guilloched, articulated by a hinge, broadside of a gold cordelière and topped by a crown of lily and clover. It is inscribed as follows: En ce petit vaisseau De fin or pur et munde Repose ung plus grand cueur Que oncque dame eut au munde Anne fut le nom delle En France deux fois royne Duchesse des Bretons Royale et Souveraine. It was made by an anonymous goldsmith of the court of Blois, perhaps drawn by Jean Perréal. In 1792, by order of the National Convention, the reliquary was exhumed, emptied, and seized as part of a collection of precious metals pertaining to churches, and sent to Nantes to be melted down. However, it was instead kept in the National Library, and was returned to Nantes in 1819, being kept in various museums, and in the Castle of the dukes of Brittany since 2007.

Anne's will also conferred the succession of Brittany upon her second daughter, Renee. This was ignored by her husband, who confirmed Claude as Duchess and married her to Francis.

Personal characteristics

Anne as Queen

Anne was a highly intelligent woman who spent much of her time on the administration of Brittany. She made the safeguarding of Breton autonomy, and the preservation of the Duchy outside the French crown, her life's work, although that goal would prove failed shortly after her death.

Anne was also a patron of the arts and enjoyed music. A prolific collector of tapestries, it is very likely that the unicorn tapestries now on view at The Cloisters museum in New York City were commissioned by her in celebration of her wedding to Louis XII. The Hunt of the Unicorn is a series of seven tapestries dating from 1495 &ndash 1505. The Cloisters is the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of the European Middle Ages. The City of New York ^[2] She also commissioned a book of French manuscripts (a Book of Hours), known as The Great Hours of Anne of Brittany. A book of hours is the most common type of surviving Medieval Illuminated manuscript. She also instituted the Queen's Maids of Honour at the court.

One of Anne's legs was shorter than the other, causing a limp. A limp is a type of asymmetric abnormality of the gait. Limping may be caused by unequal Leg lengths (short leg limp experiencing Pain when walking (antalgic To fix the problem, she wore a higher heel on that leg.

Anne kept a box of precious stones and semi-precious stones. A gemstone or gem, also called a precious or semi-precious stone, is a piece of attractive Mineral, which &mdash when cut and polished &mdash A gemstone or gem, also called a precious or semi-precious stone, is a piece of attractive Mineral, which &mdash when cut and polished &mdash She would randomly pick one and give it to her visitors.

She was a devoted mother, spending as much time as possible with her children. For her son, Charles-Orland, she commissioned a book of prayers, intended to be used in teaching him how to pray, and as a guidance to him as the future King of France; unfortunately, Charles-Orland died in 1495, and no other son lived more than a few weeks.

At her marriage to Charles VIII, aged 14, Anne was described as a young and rosy-cheeked girl; by the time of her marriage to Louis, aged 22, after seven pregnancies with no surviving children, she was described as pale-faced and wan. By the end of her life, at 36, she had been pregnant 14 times, with seven of the children stillborn. Of the remaining seven, only two survived childhood.

Marriage and issue

Medal of Anne of Brittany

Anne's first marriage ceremony, on 19 December 1490, was a marriage by proxy to Maximilian of Habsburg. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. It was dissolved by the Pope in the following year; because it was only by proxy (rather than in person), it is not generally considered a 'real' marriage.

Her second husband was Charles VIII of France, whom she married at Chateau Langeais on 6 December 1491. Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death She was pregnant by him seven times:

• Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France. Charles Orlando Dauphin of France (Charles Orland Dauphin de France ( 11 October 1492 &ndash 16 December 1495) was the eldest son and heir of The Dauphin of France (Dauphin de France—strictly Dauphin of Viennois ( Dauphin de Viennois)—was the title given to the Heir apparent of the Her only healthy son, he lived 1492-1495, but died of the measles.
• A still-born son. She became pregnant in late 1492/early 1493, but travelled with her husband from castle to castle; she went into labour during a drive in the forest of Courcelles, and the child was premature and stillborn (August 1493).
• A still-born girl. Anne became pregnant again five months after her miscarriage, and avoided travel (instead residing in Amboise near the Dauphin). However, in February 1494, she accompanied the King to Lyons, where he was preparing to depart for the Italian Wars, and after arriving on 15 March, attended all the ceremonies; the stress of the occasion caused her to go into premature labour, and she gave birth to a still-born girl. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus,
• A still-born child. She became pregnant again in August 1494, but lost the baby soon after.
• Charles, Dauphin of France. He lived from 8 September to 2 October 1496. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule His death prompted Anne to withdraw to Moulins temporarily in despair.
• Francis, Dauphin of France. He died several hours after his birth in 1497.
• Anne of France. She died on the day of her birth, 20 March 1498 at Plessis les Tours. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden.

Her third husband was Louis XII of France. Louis XII ( June 27, 1462 – January 1, 1515) called "the Father of the People" (Le Père du Peuple was the thirty-fifth king She was pregnant by him seven times:

• Claude of France (1499 -1524) became her heir and also Queen Consort of Francis I. Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547
• Stillborn son (1500).
• Stillborn son (21 January 1503). Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade.
• Some sources cited a miscarriage by the end of 1503.
• In 1505 she suffered a miscarriage.
• Stillborn son (1508) -some sources cited this was a miscarriage-.
• Some sources cited a miscarriage in 1509.
• Renée of France (1510 - 1575) married Ercole II d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara, and became the Duchess of Chartres. Renée of France ( October 25, 1510 &ndash June 12, 1574 erroneous Montargis 1575 before Sunday 19th of June see a letter of king Henri III Ercole II d'Este ( April 5, 1508 - October 3, 1559) was Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559 List of Dukes of Ferrara and of Modena In 1452 the Italian family of Este, Lords of Ferrara, were created Dukes of Modena and Chartres is a town and commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in north-central France It is located 96 km southwest of Paris
• Stillborn son (January 1512).

Ancestors

Cultural symbolism of Anne

The statue of Anne of Brittany by sculptor Jean Freour in Nantes

Even while she was alive, the royal propaganda of Charles VIII and of Louis XII introduced Anne of Brittany as a perfect queen, a symbol of union and peace between the kingdom of France and the duchy of Brittany. Francis II (in Breton Frañsez II, in French François II) ( June 23 1433 &ndash September 9 1488 John V the Conqueror (in Breton Yann IV, in French Jean IV) (1339 &ndash November 1 1399) was Duke of Brittany and Joan of Navarre (c 1370 Pamplona &ndash 10 June, 1437 Havering-atte-Bower) (French Jeanne de Navarre) was a daughter Louis of Valois ( March 13 1372 &ndash November 23 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death Valentina Visconti (died December 4, 1408) was the wife of Louis de Valois Duke of Orléans, a younger brother of Charles VI of France. Marguerite de Foix, (c 1453 &ndash 15 May 1486, Nantes) was by marriage Duchess of Brittany from 1474 to 1486 Gaston IV Count of Foix Viscount of Bearn ( 27 November 1422 - 25 July / 28 July 1472) was a French nobleman who founded a brief-ruling Eleanor of Aragon (Leonor ( Olite, Navarre (now Spain) 2 February 1426 &ndash Tudela Navarre (now Spain) 12 February 1479 John II the Great ( June 29, 1397 &ndash January 20, 1479) was the King of Aragon (1458&ndash1479 and Jure uxoris For other persons of this name see Blanca of Navarre (disambiguation Jean Fréour (born 1919 is a Breton Sculptor. Fréour was born in Nantes. In the following centuries, historians and popular culture sometimes presented Anne of Brittany in differing fashions, ascribing to her physical and psychological characteristics that are not necessarily supported by historical evidence.

In 1991, the five-hundredth anniversary of the marriage of Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII of France was celebrated in Langeais. In Rennes, which had paid the price of this marriage by siege, food shortage, and an occupation, it was hardly mentioned.

Anne in Breton culture

Anne depicted by the Breton sculptor Jean Boucher in 1915

Anne of Brittany is one of Brittany's most renowned historical figures, second perhaps only to Saint Yves. Jean Boucher is the name of Jean Boucher (artist (1870-1939 a French sculptor Jean Boucher (Canadian politician (b Saint Ivo of Kermartin ( 17 October, 1253 at Kermartin a manor near Tréguier, Brittany, France - 19 May, 1303 In testimony exist a large number of trades, hotels and street names bearing her name. Anne is also referred to by:

• a song of Gilles Servat which evokes his life: Koc'h ki gwenn ha koc'h ki du
• Duchesse Anne, name of a beer produced in Brittany
• the square three-masted ship Duchesse Anne, currently moored in the Port of Dunkirk.
• Anne of Brittany, a Breton opera featuring Agnès Bove in the title role
• If dead died, an anonymous poem going back to her funeral, and now performed by Breton singer Tri Yann. Another song of the repertory refers to the Duchess.

There are several explanations for this: the destiny of this duchess who married three kings, including two kings of France, and who was only a child when she had to marry the first (even if early engagements were normal at that time); the historical role of Anne in the union of the duchy to the kingdom of France; the fact that very little of the history of Brittany is taught in Breton schools (the official school syllabus being written in Paris for all the French territory -territories of overseas included - those retain only Anne as a notable Breton). This established fact leads some to experience the History of Brittany starting and finishing with Anne.

References

External links

• Jean-Luc Deuffic: Les manuscrits d'Anne de Bretagne
• [1]
• [2]