FRANCIS I, THE KING OF KINGS

Exceptional destinies

An episode from the series SECRETS OF HISTORY - PORTRAITS

Synopsis

The reign of Francis I is considered one of the most brilliant in the history of France. He was a warrior, a great seducer, and a lover of the arts and literature, and he gave France some of its most beautiful castles.

A prolific patron, he initiated the French Renaissance by attracting many Italian artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, who brought the Mona Lisa with him.

The reign of Francis I saw significant cultural changes with the rise of an ever more powerful monarchy, the spread of humanism and Protestantism, and the beginning of the exploration of the New World.