History
article | Reading time3 min
An emblematic king of the French Renaissance, Francis I is the monarch most closely associated with the Loire Valley. His imprint is omnipresent in the surrounding châteaux.
The imprint of a king
A king who built
Born in 1494, François d'Angoulême was the cousin of King Louis XII. When the latter died without a male heir in 1514, François d'Angoulême acceded to the throne under the name of Francis I. He was crowned king at Reims on January 22, 1515.
The young king quickly made a name for himself with his military victory at Marignan, which temporarily gave him authority over the Duchy of Milan in Italy.
The first years of his reign were marked by two major projects: the extension of the Château de Blois, starting in 1515, and the commissioning of the Château de Chambord, work on which began in 1524.
Francis I chose the Loire Valley as the location for his court. Following in his footsteps, several great financiers, including Gilles Berthelot , who built the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, also built magnificent residences.
All these châteaux are distinguished by their new style, imbued with Italian influences. Why were they built? Following the conquest of Milan, Francis I and his entourage attracted Italian artists to France, the most famous of whom was undoubtedly Leonardo da Vinci.
Hervé Lewandoski - Centre des monuments nationaux
A salamander for an emblem
Francis I's emblem is the salamander. It can be found in many of the château's decorations, notably on the Great Staircase.
Gilles Berthelot, who commissioned the château d'Azay-le-Rideau, used it as a reminder of his obedience to his sovereign. His motto, often emblazoned with the salamander, is painted on the pediment of the fireplace in the château's great hall!
Nutrisco and Extingo
Francis I's motto
Do you know what it means? I feed the good fire and extinguish the bad, in other words, I uphold justice and fight injustice.
Thomas Jorion - Centre des monuments nationaux
Etienne Revault - Centre des monuments nationaux
Patrick Müller - Centre des monuments nationaux
The Loire Valley deserted by the court
The court moves to Île-de-France
In 1525, the king was taken prisoner at Pavia in Lombardy, then held captive by Charles V in Madrid. On his return to France in March 1526, the construction projects at Chambord and Blois were suspended, and the Court moved to the Île-de-France region.
Here, the king had the castles of Fontainebleau, Villers-Cotterêts, Madrid (in the Bois de Boulogne), Saint-Germain-en-Laye and La Muette built, enlarged or restored. He also planned to rebuild the Louvre.
Chambord remained dear to the king's heart, however, and he had the work continued. By the time of his death in 1547, the château was nearing completion.
