Louis XII

Lively and cheerful by nature, Louis fought in tournaments, went hunting, loved to feast, and in his youth was not interested in politics.

Louis was married to Jeanne , daughter of King Louis XI . When the latter died, Louis was a dangerous rival to Anna de Bozhe , regent of France with his young brother, Charles VIII , and the elder sister of his wife, Louis. The leader of the opposing Anna Orleans party was Count Dunois . With the help of government officials, the Orleans party hoped to take power from Anna, but this did not succeed. Soon, however, a new coalition formed: Louis of Orleans, the Dukes of Breton and Lorraine , Alain d'Albre and others. The purpose of the union was the release of the king from the hands of bad advisers (Anna). The Crazy War of the coalition against the crown began. At the battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier in 1488, the insurgents were defeated, and Louis was captured and put in prison in Bourges . Three years later, Louis was released due to the requests of his wife.

After Charles VIII , who died childless, Louis freely ascended the throne and treated all his former enemies mercifully, forgetting the insults inflicted on him (“The King of France,” said Louis, “forgot the grievances of the Duke of Orleans,” French Le roi de France a oublié les injures du duc d'Orléans ).

Wanting to keep Brittany behind France, Louis married Anna Breton , widow of Charles VIII (with his first wife, ugly Jeanne , Louis divorced with the permission of Pope Alexander VI ).

Louis made many political decisions under the influence of his advisers, especially Georges Amboise . At the beginning of the reign, he eased taxes, took care of the improvement of legal proceedings. In March 1499, notables were collected in Blois to develop the rules of the trial. Louis settled the relations between peasants and owners, more precisely determining the feudal duties of the former. For judicial reforms, generosity and warmth, he was called the "father of the people."

First Successes

As a grandson of Valentina Visconti , Louis made claims to the Duchy of Milan , continuing to think, following the example of Charles VIII , about the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples . On his side were the pope, the French nobility, Henry VII of England and Emperor Maximilian .

With experienced generals, Louis moved to Italy, crossed the Alps (July 1499 ), and took Milan on September 14 . The Duke of Milan of Lodovico Moro escaped. The outrages of the French provoked widespread discontent in the city and set the stage for its return. Two months later, Lodovico managed to drive the French out of Milan, but in the spring of 1500 he was defeated near Novara and soon betrayed by his Swiss mercenaries, who gave him to the French. Having rid himself of a dangerous rival, the king of France was given the opportunity to continue his conquests in Italy.

In 1500, Louis concluded an alliance in Granada with Ferdinand of Aragon , dividing the Kingdom of Naples with him. Neapolitan King Federigo was captured ( 1501 ); Louis received Abruzzo and Campania .

French-Spanish War

Louis appointed Armagnac the ruler of this unit, who argued over two areas with Gonzalvo Fernandez , the Spanish commander. War broke out between France and Spain on Italian territory. Goncalvo defeated the French and the Swiss mercenary army under Cherignol (1503); another Spanish commander Andrad defeated the French army at the Seminar. Louis himself was defeated under Garigliano and concluded a contract with Isabella and Ferdinand , according to which he refused claims to Naples ( 1504 ).

Fighting Venice and the Papacy

Louis now directed his cares to the maintenance and expansion of his dominion in Northern Italy, pacified Genoa ( 1507 ) and joined the Cambrian League against Venice (Maximilian, Pope Julius II , Ferdinand of Aragon; 1509 ). Julius II, desiring to oust the French from Italy, separated from Louis and concluded a “holy league” against France. Convened by Louis in Tours ( 1510 ), the clergy decided to protect the rights of the Gallican church , allowed the king to repel the attacks of the pope and approved Louis's intention to convene an ecumenical council in Pisa .

The collapse of Louis's plans

Since 1512, the war in Italy has taken an unfavorable turn for Louis: his troops are defeated, Milan is slipping out of his hands, Maximilian Sforza was proclaimed duke of Milan. In 1513, French troops suffered heavy defeats at Novar and Gingat. The French treasury was empty. After long negotiations, Louis made peace in August 1514 with the English and Spanish kings.

He died on January 1, 1515 , according to the general opinion of “excessive efforts in the bedroom” in attempts to get an heir (Guicciardini, Francesco. Storia d'Italia. - 1853. - P. 341. - 373 p.), Shortly before his death for the third time having married Maria Tudor , daughter of Henry VII (Anna of Breton died in 1514). Louis did not leave his sons; his cousin and his son-in-law, Francis , Count of Angouleme, became his successor.

• 1st wife: (September 8, 1476) Jeanne de Valois (1464-1505), Princess of France, daughter of King Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy . The marriage was annulled on December 22, 1498 as barren.

• 2nd wife: (January 8, 1499) Anna of Breton (1477-1514), daughter of Francis II , Duke of Brittany , and Margarita de Foix. They had two daughters and several more children who died in infancy:

1. Claude of France (1499-1524), Duchess of Brittany and Berry; husband (from May 18, 1514) Francis I (1494-1547), Count of Angouleme, then king of France.
2. The son who died at birth (1500).
3. Francis (1503).
4. Miscarriages (from 1505 to 1509).
5. Rene Orleans (1510-1575), Duchess of Chartres, known in Italy under the name Renata of France ; husband (from July 20, 1527) Ercole II d'Este (1508-1559), Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio.
6. Son (1512).

•  

  Claude .

•  

  Renee .

• 3rd wife: (October 9, 1514) Maria Tudor (1496-1533), Princess of England, daughter of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York .

In the movie

• The series " Quentin Dorward " (France, Germany. 1971), starring Denis Savigny ^[1] .
• Telefilm “The Life of Leonardo da Vinci ” (Italy, Spain, 1971). The role was played by Christian de Tillier ^[2] .
• Television film " Borgia " (Great Britain. 1981). The role is played by Yves Benyton ^[2] .
• The film “ Without Fear and Reproach ” (France. 1988), in the role of the future king was Martin Lamott ^[2]
• The film " Louis XI, the split power " (France, 2011), starring Bruno Debrandt ^[2]
• The series " Borgia " (Canada, Hungary, Ireland. 2011-2013), the role was played by Serge Azanavisyus ^[2]
• The series " Borgia " (France, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy. 2011-2014), starring Joseph Beatty ^[2]
• The series " Isabella " (Spain, 2011-2014), in the role of Borja Luna ^[3]
• The film “ Niccolo Machiavelli - Prince of Politics ” (Italy, 2017), starring Francesco Griffoni ^[2]

Louis XII is depicted on a 1962 postage stamp of Monaco.

• Konsky P.A. Louis XII // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.