Louis XII
King of France · 1498-1515 · born on 27 June 1462, died on 1 January 1515
Cousin and son-in-law of Charles VIII, Louis XII came to the throne in 1498. A popular king, nicknamed the “father of the people” for his moderate government mindful of his subjects, he resumed the conquest of Italy: Milan was taken in 1499.
He married in second nuptials Anne of Brittany (1499), widow of his predecessor: Anne remained duchess of Brittany, the duchy keeping its autonomy until the Edict of Union of 1532. But the League of Cambrai and then the Holy League ruined his Italian conquests, ultimately lost.
When he died in 1515, with no male heir, the crown passed to his cousin Francis I. His reign, marked by internal peace and prosperity, contrasted with the unfulfilled Italian ambitions.
In the tree of power
- Era: Valois
- Predecessor: Charles VIII (1483-1498)
- Successor: François Ier (1515-1547)
- Queen: Anne de Bretagne (1491-1514)