French king born in Cognac, historic for the series of conflicts with Emperor Charles V. Son of Carlos de Valois-Orléans, Count of Angoulême, and Maria Luísa de Savóia, he married Claudia (1514) and assumed the throne of France (1515) after the death of his cousin and father-in-law Louis XII. Early in his reign, he set out to reconquer the duchy of Milan and defeated the duke's Swiss mercenaries Maximilian Sforza and his ally, Pope Leo X, in the battle of Marignano, and with the pope who signed the Bologna Agreement (1516). He also signed the Treaty of Freiburg with Switzerland, which gave France priority for the recruitment of Helvetic troops, Treaty of Noyon with the King of Spain, and bought Tournai from Henry VIII of England. With the death of Emperor Maximilian (1519), he became the most powerful sovereign in all of Christendom.
With the coronation of Charles, grandson of Maximilian, quarrels between the monarchs began. The French demanded (1523) the return of the provinces of the feudal grand duke Charles de Bourbon, but Charles de Bourbon, allied with Emperor Charles V, defeated him at the Battle of Pavia (1525) and took him prisoner. Prisoner was forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Madrid (1526), by which he renounced the territories of Naples, Milan and Genoa, he abdicated from Burgundy and promised to marry Leonor, sister of the emperor and widow of the king of Portugal, since his wife Claudia had deceased. The marriage would seal the reconciliation between the two rulers. In addition, he had to hand over his two children, aged eight and seven, as hostages. Upon returning to France, the king refused to fulfill the pact, which led Charles V to keep his sons prisoner for four years.
In order for them to regain their freedom, he signed the Treaty of Cambrai (1529), whereby he definitively renounced his territorial claims on Italy. In domestic politics, he promoted religious freedom, reformed the judicial system, and decreed the mandatory use of the French language in all legal documents. It also promoted the concentration of power, eliminating the privileges of the nobility, who were relegated to a role more of a courtesan than a government. A great supporter of culture, he protected artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini and Primaticcio, who contributed their works to the splendor of the French court.
He founded the Collège de France (1530), a very special institution created to counterbalance the influence of the Sorbonne which was, at that time, very scholastic, but where only Latin and theology. The new institution had 3 teachers of Hebrew, 2 of Greek and 1 of Mathematics and, reputed for its flexibility, it has survived all revolutions and wars, until today. He died in Rambouillet.
Source: http://www.dec.ufcg.edu.br/biografias/
Order F - Biography - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biografia/francisco-i-da-franca.htm
