Louis XII the Father of his People King of France, Count of Provence (more…) Reign 7 April 1498 – 1 January 1515 Coronation 27 May 1498, Reims Titles Duke of Orléans and Valois (1465–98) Dauphin of Viennois: As King of France (7 April 1498 – 1 January 1515) Jure uxoris Duke of Brittany (1499–1514) Duke of Milan (1499–1512) King of Naples (1501–04) Born 27 June 1462(1462-06-27) Birthplace Château de Blois, France Died 1 January 1515 (aged 52) Place of death Paris Buried Saint Denis Basilica, France Predecessor Charles VIII Successor Francis I Consort Joan of France (1464–1505) Anne of Brittany (1477–1514) Mary of England (1496–1533) Issue Claude, Queen of France (1499–1524) Renée, Duchess of Ferrara (1510–75) Royal House Valois Dynasty Father Charles of Orléans (1394–1465) Mother Marie of Cleves (1426–87)

Louis XII entering Genoa in 1507. The precise style of French Sovereigns varied over the years Currently there is no French sovereign three distinct traditions (the Legitimist the Orleanist and the Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern Duke of Orléans (Duc d'Orléans is one of the most important titles in the French peerage, dating back at least to the 14th century The Valois, originally Val d'Ois, was a region in the valley of the Oise river in modern Picardy. The Counts of Albon ( Comtes d'Albon) were minor French nobles in south-eastern France in the Rhône Alps region Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of the wife The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1859 when Milan and the rest of Lombardy were incorporated into the Kingdom of The following is a list of monarchs of the Kingdom of Naples. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The Basilica of Saint Denis ( French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the burial site of almost all the French This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death 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 Jeanne de France ( 23 April 1464 &ndash 4 February 1505) was Duchess of Berry and 1473–1498 duchess consort of Orléans Anne of Brittany ( 25 January, 1477 &ndash 9 January, 1514) also known as Anna of Brittany ( Anne de Bretagne; This article is about Mary Queen consort of France. For her niece and namesake Mary Tudor Queen regnant of England, see Mary I 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 See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and Charles of Valois Duke of Orléans ( November 24, 1394 &ndash January 5, 1465) became Duke of Orléans in 1407 following the murder Marie of Cleves ( 19 September, 1426 - 23 August, 1487) was born in Prussia to Adolph I of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Miniature by Jean Bourdichon

Louis XII (June 27, 1462 – January 1, 1515), called "the Father of the People" (French: Le Père du Peuple) was the thirty-fifth king of France and the sole monarch from the Valois-Orléans branch of the House of Valois. A portrait miniature is a miniature Portrait painting usually executed in Gouache or watercolor. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 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 List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and The descendants in the male-line of a younger son of a Monarch or Patriarch collectively constitute a cadet branch of that ancestor's lineage See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and He reigned from 1498 to 1515 and pursued a very active foreign policy.

Biography

Early life

Louis was born on June 27, 1462, in the Château de Blois, Blois, Touraine (in the contemporary Loir-et-Cher département). Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France. Blois is a city and commune in France, the Préfecture (capital of the Loir-et-Cher département, situated Touraine may also refer to Alain Touraine, French sociologist Loir-et-Cher is a department in north-central France named after the rivers Loir and Cher. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division The son of Charles, duc d'Orléans and Marie of Cleves, he succeeded his father as Duke of Orléans in the year 1465. Charles of Valois Duke of Orléans ( November 24, 1394 &ndash January 5, 1465) became Duke of Orléans in 1407 following the murder Marie of Cleves ( 19 September, 1426 - 23 August, 1487) was born in Prussia to Adolph I of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy. Duke of Orléans (Duc d'Orléans is one of the most important titles in the French peerage, dating back at least to the 14th century

In the 1480s Louis was involved in the so-called Mad War against royal authority. The Mad War ( guerre folle in French is the name traditionally given by French historians to a late Medieval conflict between a coalition of feudal lords and the French monarchy Allied with Francis II, Duke of Brittany he confronted the royal army at the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier, but was comprehensively defeated and captured. Francis II (in Breton Frañsez II, in French François II) ( June 23 1433 &ndash September 9 1488 The Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier took place on July 28 1488 between the forces of king Charles VIII of France, and those of Francis II Duke of Brittany and his Pardoned three years later, Louis joined his cousin King Charles VIII, in campaigns in Italy. Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death He succeeded to the throne on the king's death.

Domestic and foreign policies

Although he came late (and unexpectedly) to power, Louis acted with vigour, reforming the French legal system, reducing taxes and improving government, much like his contemporary Henry VII did in England. He was also skilled in managing his nobility, including the powerful Bourbon faction, which greatly contributed to the stability of French government. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. In the Ordinance of Blois of 1499 and the Ordinance of Lyon of 1510, he extended the powers of royal judges and made efforts to curb corruption in the law. Highly complex French customary law was to be codified and ratified by royal proclamation. In Law, custom can be described as the established patterns of behavior that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting

In an attempt to take control of the Duchy of Milan, to which he had a claim in right of his grandmother Valentina Visconti, Louis embarked on several campaigns in Italy. The Duchy of Milan was a state in northern Italy from 1394 to 1797 Valentina Visconti (died December 4, 1408) was the wife of Louis de Valois Duke of Orléans, a younger brother of Charles VI of France. He successfully secured Milan itself in the year 1499 from his enemy, Ludovico Sforza, and it remained a French stronghold for twelve years. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Ludovico Sforza Duke of Milan ( Ludovico il Moro, "The Moor" July 27, 1452 &ndash May 27, 1508) a member His greatest success came in his war with Venice, with the victory at the Battle of Agnadello in 1509. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the The Battle of Agnadello, also known as Vailà, was the one of the more significant battles of the War of the League of Cambrai, and one of the major battles of Things became much more difficult for him from 1510 onwards, especially after Julius II, the great warrior Pope, took control of the Vatican and formed the "Holy League" to oppose the ambitions of the French in Italy. Pope Julius II (5 December 1443 &ndash 21 February 1513 born Giuliano Della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513 The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names was a major conflict in the Italian Wars. The French were eventually driven from Milan by the Swiss in the year 1513. The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland.

Louis also pursued the claim of his immediate predecessor to the Kingdom of Naples with Ferdinand II, the King of Aragon from the House of Trastámara. The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian Ferdinand II of Aragon the Catholic (Fernando II de Aragón y V de Castilla "el Católico" Ferran II d'Aragó "el Catòlic" Ferrando II d'Aragón This is a list of the rulers of Aragon, now a region of north-eastern Spain. The House of Trastámara was a Dynasty of kings in the Iberian Peninsula, which governed in Castile from 1369 to 1504, They agreed to partition the Neapolitan realm in the Treaty of Granada (1500), but were eventually at war over the terms of partition, and by the year 1504 France had lost its share of Naples. The Second Italian War (1499–1504 sometimes known as Louis XII's Italian War or the War over Naples, was the second of the Italian Wars; it was

Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes. He had duly earned the title of Father of the People ("Le Père du Peuple"), conferred upon him by the Estates in 1506.

Marriages

In 1476, Louis was required to marry the pious Joan of France (1464–1505), the daughter of his second cousin, Louis XI, the middle-aged "Spider King" of France. 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 After Louis XII's predecessor Charles VIII died childless, Louis' marriage was annulled in order to allow him to marry Charles’ widow, the former Queen-Consort, Anne of Brittany (1477–1514), who was the daughter and heiress of Francis II of Brittany, in a strategy meant to integrate the duchy of Brittany into the French monarchy. Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death Anne of Brittany ( 25 January, 1477 &ndash 9 January, 1514) also known as Anna of Brittany ( Anne de Bretagne; Francis II (in Breton Frañsez II, in French François II) ( June 23 1433 &ndash September 9 1488 Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into

The annulment was not simple, however. Described as "one of the seamiest lawsuits of the age", Louis did not, as might be expected, argue the marriage to be void due to consanguinity (the general allowance for the dissolution of a marriage at that time). Though he could produce witnesses to claim that the two were closely related due to various linking marriages, there was no documentary proof, merely the opinions of courtiers. Kinship terminology refers to the words used in a specific culture to describe a specific system of familial relationships Likewise, Louis could not argue that he had been below the legal age of consent (fourteen) to marry: no one was certain when he had been born, with Louis claiming to have been twelve at the time, and others ranging in their estimates between eleven and thirteen. While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal Statutes when used with in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at As there was no real proof, however, he was forced to make other arguments.

Flamboyant Gothic: an equestrian Louis above the main door of the Château de Blois

Accordingly, Louis (much to the horror of his Queen) claimed that she was physically malformed, providing a rich variety of detail as to how she was malformed, and that he had therefore been unable to consummate the marriage. The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France. As a Verb, consummate means to bring something to its completion such as a transaction concept plan or action Joan, unsurprisingly, fought this uncertain charge fiercely, producing witnesses to Louis boasting of having "mounted my wife three or four times during the night. " Louis also claimed that his sexual performance had been inhibited by witchcraft; Joan responded by asking how he was able to know what it was like to try to make love to her. Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers

Had the Papacy been a neutral party, Jeanne would likely have won, for Louis's case was exceedingly weak. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Unfortunately for the Queen, Pope Alexander VI (the former Roderic Borja) was committed, for political reasons to grant the divorce, and accordingly he ruled against Jeanne, granting the annulment. Pope Alexander VI ( 1 January 1431 &ndash 18 August 1503) born Roderic Llançol, later Roderic de Borja i Borja ( Outraged, she reluctantly stepped aside, saying that she would pray for her former husband, and Louis married the equally reluctant former Queen, Anne.

Louis XII occupies an ambiguous position in history, being both a late Medieval and a Renaissance monarch.

After the death of Anne, Louis then married Mary (1496–1533), the sister of Henry VIII, the King of England in Abbeville, France, on October 9, 1514, in an attempt to conceive an heir to his throne and perhaps to further establish a future claim for his descendants upon the English throne as well. This article is about Mary Queen consort of France. For her niece and namesake Mary Tudor Queen regnant of England, see Mary I Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of Abbeville ( Abbegem in Flemish is a city in Picardie in northern France. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. He was ultimately unsuccessful. Despite two previous marriages, the king had no living sons and sought to produce an heir; but Louis died on January 1, 1515, less than three months after he married Mary, reputedly worn out by his exertions in the bedchamber. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Their union produced no children.

Children

The Louis XII wing at the Château de Blois

The only marriage of Louis's which produced any children was his second, with Anne of Brittany. The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France. By her he had two surviving daughters:

• Claude of France (1499–1524), later married her relative Francis, the count of Angoulême and future King of France. 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 Angoulême ( Angoumois) in western France was part of the Carolingian empire as the kingdom of Aquitaine. Angoulême is a commune in western France, capital of the Charente department.
• Renée of France (1510–75), later married Ercole d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. 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 Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara.

There were also two boys, who died shortly after birth:

• The elder son, lived and died 21 January 1508
• The younger son, lived and died 21 January 1512

Death

Louis died on January 1, 1515, and was interred in Saint Denis Basilica. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC The Basilica of Saint Denis ( French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the burial site of almost all the French Due to the tradition of Salic Law, which did not allow women to inherit the throne of France, he was succeeded by his son-in-law (married to Claude) and cousin Francis I Valois-Angoulême, who founded his own line of French kings. Salic law ( Lat Lex Salica) was an important body of traditional Law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the Early Middle Ages 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

Ancestors

Louis XII's ancestors in three generations

Issue

References

• Baumgartner, Frederic J. Charles V ( 21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380) called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death and a member Louis of Valois ( March 13 1372 &ndash November 23 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death Joanna of Bourbon (Jeanne de Bourbon Vincennes, February 3, 1338 &ndash Paris, February 6, 1378) was consort Charles of Valois Duke of Orléans ( November 24, 1394 &ndash January 5, 1465) became Duke of Orléans in 1407 following the murder Gian Galeazzo Visconti (November 1351 – September 3, 1402) son of Galeazzo II Visconti and Bianca di Savoia, was the first Duke of Milan Valentina Visconti (died December 4, 1408) was the wife of Louis de Valois Duke of Orléans, a younger brother of Charles VI of France. Adolph I Duke of Cleves (Adolph IV Count of Cleves and of Mark ( 2 August 1373 &ndash 23 September 1448) was the son of Adolph III Count Marie of Cleves ( 19 September, 1426 - 23 August, 1487) was born in Prussia to Adolph I of Cleves and Marie of Burgundy. John the Fearless (Jean sans Peur also John II Duke of Burgundy, known as John of Valois and John of Burgundy ( May 28 1371 Margaret of Bavaria, (1363&ndash 23 January 1423, Dijon) was the fifth child of Albert, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing, Count Anne of Brittany ( 25 January, 1477 &ndash 9 January, 1514) also known as Anna of Brittany ( Anne de Bretagne; 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 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 , Louis XII, New York: St. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Martin's Press, 1996. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) ISBN 0-312-12072-9

• Hochner, Nicole, Louis XII: Les dérèglements de l’image royale, collection «Époques» Seyssel: Champ Vallon, 2006 http://www.champ-vallon.com/