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François Ier
1494-1547
Historical FigurePatron
The knight-king and builder-king, François Ier, ascended the throne in 1515 at age twenty and immediately won the Battle of Marignano against the Swiss forces defending Milan.
His reign brought the Renaissance to France. He rebuilt Fontainebleau, his favorite residence, and launched construction of Chambord; he drew Italian artists and scholars to his court.
Among them was Leonardo da Vinci, whom he called his father and housed at the Clos Lucé until Leonardo's death in 1519. His rivalry with Charles V dominated European politics throughout his reign.
