Francis I Inherits France

January 1, 1515

Louis XII died on New Year's Day, leaving the crown to his tall, hook-nosed cousin Francis of Angouleme. Twenty years old and drunk on chivalric romance, Francis vowed to win Milan before spring. He would become the Renaissance's most theatrical patron and Charles V's most tireless rival. His court attracted Italian artists including Leonardo da Vinci, establishing France as a Renaissance center rivaling Italian city-states.