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Not Just the Tudors

François I, King of France

Not Just the Tudors

History Hit

History

4.83K Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2022

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

François I of France not only introduced the Renaissance to France, he became the perfect Renaissance king - an inspiring military leader, a charismatic diplomat, an art collector and a lover of literature. But he was also intensely human and flawed.


In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to author Leonie Frieda, whose biography of François I brings to life the great monarch who turned France into a great nation.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

On 31st March 1547, 475 years ago this week, King François I of France died at the age

0:12.7

of 52. He had been ill for some time with disease affecting his stomach, throat, kidneys

0:18.3

and lungs. When the doctors opened his body, one physician commented that the kings

0:23.9

in sides were rotten. In the days leading up to his death, François sought to settle

0:29.2

his affairs. He heard mass, he took communion, he admitted his sins, including frequently

0:34.5

breaking the Ten Commandments, and he spoke with his 28-year-old son and heir Henri to

0:39.8

instruct him in the art of kingship. In the 32 years before that fateful day, François's

0:46.0

reign had helped to usher in Renaissance in France, and build relations between France

0:51.1

and the Ottoman Empire. He had led his troops into battle in the Italian Wars and challenged

0:56.2

his nemesis, Charles V, so often in fact it can be hard to keep track. In 1525 he was

1:02.3

even held prisoner for a year by Charles. His sons were held captive for several years

1:06.7

further, and he invited Leonardo da Vinci into his country and with him the Renaissance.

1:13.9

Yet for all the colour and drama of his reign, anniversaries of François's birth or death,

1:19.2

often passed a little fast. Here to talk to us about François and some of the significant

1:25.2

people in his life is Leonie Frieder, the author of Francis I, the maker of modern France.

1:32.7

Leonie is a writer and translator speaking no fewer than five languages who has also written

1:37.5

a best-selling biography of François's daughter-in-law Catherine de Medici, which is currently

1:42.9

being made into a drama series on stars called The Serpent Queen, as well as being the author

1:47.9

of the Deadly Sisterhood, the story of women, power and intrigue in the Italian Renaissance.

2:00.7

Leonie it is wonderful pleasure to welcome you to not just the tutors and to talk about this

2:04.7

very important man. We often know him as Francis, but of course he's François, premier,

2:10.8

François I who ruled from January 1515 until March 1547. Lots of people have heard his name,

...

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