Anne of Brittany

Anne of Brittany , born the January 25th 1477 (1476 old style) with Nantes, dead the January 9th 1514 with Blois, is duchess of Brittany of 1489 with 1491 and again of 1498 to its death and, by its marriages, archduchess of Austria and queen of the Romans (1490-1491), then queen of France (1491-1498) and queen of Sicily and Jerusalem in right, then again queen of France (1499-1514) and duchess of Milan.

She was the girl of François II (1435-1488), duke of Brittany, and his second wife Marguerite de Foix (v. 1449-1486), princess of Navarre.

She is a central stake in the fights of influence which will lead after its death to the Union of Brittany to France. She also has a place with part in the imaginary Breton collective as that which defended the duchy vis-a-vis the appetite of its neighbors.

Childhood

Education

Education of Anne of Brittany, we almost do not preserve traces. It is probable that it receives the education of a noble young person of its time: she learns how to read and write in French, a more little Latin and Greek learned in the bible or other missals. She is raised by one controlling : Francoise de Dinan, lady of Laval and Chateaubriant; its Master of hotel is the poet Jean Meschinot. One would have perhaps taught the dance, the song and the music to him.

Heiress of Brittany

For the succession of the duke François II, the lack of a male heir threatened of replonger Brittany in a dynastic crisis. His/her father thus makes it recognize heiress by the States of Brittany in 1486. This quality of heiress was debatable before because of a vague successional law, established by the first treated of Guérande in 1365 and not envisaging the male absence of heir in the two families, Montfort and Penthièvre, being entitled to the ducal crown.

Engagement

By marrying his daughter, François II intends to reinforce his position against the king of France. The prospect to join the duchy to their field thus successively made it possible to obtain the alliance of several princes d' Europe:

it is initially promised in marriage officially in 1481 to prince de Galles Edouard, wire of the king Edouard IV of England. With died of his father, he is briefly king under the name of Edouard V and killed shortly after.
Henri Tudor, future king Henri VII of England (then held in Brittany, but this marriage did not interest it)
Maximilien I {{er}} of Austria, king of the Romans (widowed of Marie of Burgundy, heiress of Charles the Bold one)
Alain d' Albret
Louis, duke of Orleans, first cousin of the king Charles VIII and future king Louis XII, but he was already married in Jeanne de France
Jean de Châlons, prince d' Orange

Marriages

In 1488, the defeat of the armies of François II with Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier the which concludes the insane Guerre the constrained one to accept the Traité Orchard whose clause stipulates that the girls of François II will not be able to marry without the approval of king de France.

With died of François II, a new crisis period opens which leads to a last free-Breton war. In Rennes the December 19th 1490 Anne, become duchess, wife in first weddings and by procuration the future Maximilien I {{er}}, (become Germanic Roman Emperor thereafter) which was then titrated king of the Romans. By doing this, it becomes queen, in accordance with the policy of her father. However, this marriage is a serious provocation with respect to the camp français : he violates the treaty of the Orchard, he reintroduces an enemy of king de France in Brittany, which political always tried to them to avoid with 14th and 15th centuries. Moreover, he is concluded with the bad moment : the allies of Brittany are occupied on another face (seat of Grenade for king de Castille, succession of Hungary for Maximilien of Austria).

In spite of English and Castilian reinforcements come to support the ducal troops, spring 1491 sees new successes of Trémoille (already victorious with Saint-Aubin-of-Cormier), and, being posed of heir, Charles VIII comes to put the seat in front of Rennes where Anne is, so that it gives up this marriage with the enemy of the kingdom of France.

After a seat, without assistance and not having more any hope to resist, the city goes. Anne having refused all the proposals for a marriage with French princes, engagement to Charles VIII is celebrated with the vault of the Jacobins of Rennes. Then Anne of Brittany makes itself, escorted of her army (and thus free, which was important for the legitimacy of the marriage and the fastening of Brittany) until Langeais for the weddings of both been engaged. Austria fights from now on on the diplomatic ground (in particular in front of the Holy See), supporting that the overcome duchess was removed by the king of France and that their descent is thus illegitimate.

The December 6th 1491, Anne marries in second weddings with the castle of Langeais the king of France Charles VIII. This marriage is concluded in urgency, and validated afterwards by the pope Innocent VIII (on February 15th, 1492) does not decide to address to the court of France the act of cancellation antedated of the first marriage of Anne. The husbands exchange by the marriage contract their rights on Bretagne ; the contract also includes/understands a clause of mutual donation to the alive last. In the event of male absence of heir, it is agreed that it will be able to marry only the successor of Charles VIII. From this union are born six children, all deaths in low age.

After the death of Charles VIII, she marries in third weddings Louis XII, the January 8th 1499, with Nantes. There too, the act of cancellation of the marriage of the king with Jeanne de France had not arrived when the marriage takes place, but the decision of the pope was this unquestionable time.

Queen of France

By the marriage of 1491, Anne of Brittany east queen of France. Its marriage contract specifies that he is concluded to ensure peace between the duchy of Brittany and the kingdom of France. It makes of Charles VIII his perpetual prosecutor. February 8th, 1492, Anne was crowned and crowned queen from France to Saint-Denis. Her husband prohibits to him to carry the title of duchess of Brittany.

It spends much time in Grossesse S (with a child every fourteen months on average). At the time of the wars of Italy, regency is allotted to Anne de Beaujeu, which already brilliantly held this role of 1483 to 1491. Anne of Brittany was still young, and his/her sister-in-law suspectait it. She has any role nor no political influence other that honorary in France as in Brittany, must reside where it is necessary for him to be, must agree to be separate of his/her children in low-age. Anne lived primarily in the royal castles of Amboise, Loaches and Plessis or in the towns of Lyon, Grenoble or Mills (when the king was in Italy).

She becomes queen of Sicily and Jerusalem at the time of the conquest of Naples per Charles VIII.

As of the death of Charles VIII, it takes again the head of the administration of the duchy. It restores in particular the Chancellerie of Brittany to the profit of faithful the Philippe de Montauban, names general lieutenant of Brittany his heir the prince d' Orange, convenes the States of Brittany, emits a coining with its name. Three days after the death of its first husband, the principle of the marriage with Louis XII is acquired, in the condition that Louis obtains the cancellation of his marriage before one year. It turns over for the first time to Brittany in October 1498, after having exchanged a promise of marriage with Louis XII with Étampes, on August 19th, and a few days after the beginning of the lawsuit in cancellation of the union between Louis XII and Jeanne de France. , In 1499 is concluded under conditions radically different from the second. The overcome child succeeded a young queen dowager and sovereign duchess from now on uncontested, opposite who it husband is an old ally, friend and applicant. Contrary to the provisions of the marriage contract with Charles VIII, the new one recognizes the entirety of the rights to him on Brittany like only heiress of the duchy and duchess of Brittany titrates it. On the other hand, the kingly capacity in Brittany is exerted by Louis XII, who takes then the title of duke consort , though the decisions are made in the name of the duchess.

Their daughter Claude of France, heiress of the duchy, is promised in marriage to Charles of Luxembourg in 1501, to facilitate the control of the 3 {{E}} war of Italy by thus reinforcing Spanish alliance, and to agree with the intention of Anne making him marry the grandson of its first Maximilien husband of Austria. Engagement is cancelled when the absence of a dolphin, which would have inherited Brittany, makes fear a more complete surrounding of the kingdom. It is from now on with the future François I {{er}} that his/her daughter is promised in marriage. Anne will refuse until the end this marriage, which will take place only after its death, and will try to return to matrimonial alliance with the future Charles Quint. It is at this time that it will begin its " turn of Bretagne" , visiting many places which it had never been able to attend child. Its vassal receives it sumptuously and it is made known of the people at the time of festivities, pilgrimages and triumphal entries in the cities of the duchy.

Descent

Of the eight children resulting from its third marriage (with Louis XII), only survived:

Claude of France (1499-1524), duchess of Brittany and queen of France (1515-1524) by her marriage with François I {{er}}, king de France - Grandmother in particular of Henri III (1551-1589), which made assassinate his/her cousin Henri de Guise (see below);
Renee de France (1510-1575), lady of Montargis, duchess of Chartres (1528-?) - Married in 1528 with Hercules II of Este (1508-1559), duke of Ferrare, Modena and Reggio - Grandmother in particular of Henri I {{er}} (1550-1588), 3rd duke of Own way, assassinated on the order of his/her cousin Henri III of France…

Burial

The Anne queen of Brittany was buried in the royal basilica and necropolis of Saint-Denis. Its funeral is of an exceptional width: they last forty days, and inspire all the royal funeral until the 18th century.

According to its volontée, its heart was placed in a Reliquaire out of raised enamel gold then transported to Nantes in large pump to be deposited, the March 19th 1514, in the vault of the Carmelite friars, in the tomb which it made carry out for her parents and transferred later to the cathedral Saint-Pierre.

The reliquary of the heart of the Anne duchess of Brittany is a box oval, bivalvular, out of sheet of gold pushed back and guilloched, articulated by a hinge, broadside of a gold cordelière and summoned of a crown of lily and clover. This invaluable vessel is determined inscriptions in letters of gold raised of enamel green, blue, red, with the glory of the heart of Anne, with in particular on one of the outsides this inscription:

In this small vaisseau
Of fine pure gold and munde
Rest ung larger cueur
That oncque lady had with the munde
Anne was the name delle
In France twice royne
Duchess of Bretons
Royal and Souveraine.
C
MR. V XIII

And on the other:

This cuor was so very hault
That ground with the cyeulx
Its virtue libérale
Accroissoit mieulx
But God has reprins
of it Its portion meilleure
And ceste terrestre
In deep mourning us demor.

On the white enamel lining, one engraved on a side: " O cuor caste and pudicque O right and Benoit cuor Cuor magnanime and frank Of any defect vainqueur."

And other: " Worthy Cuor between all Of celestial crown Ore is your cler spirit Hord of paine and moleste."

It was carried out by an anonymous goldsmith of the court of Blois, perhaps drawn by Jean Perréal.

In 1792, to answer an instruction of the National Convention, the reliquary was exhumed, emptied, seized then, with the title of the collection of the noble metals pertaining to the churches, envoy with the Currency of Nantes to be molten there. Transferred to the Currency from Paris like remarkable jewel, it was deposited with the Cabinet of the medals of the National library. It was returned to Nantes in 1819 with the departmental Museums of Loire-Atlantique: with the Museum of Archeology of the Oratory starting from the June 25th 1886, with the Museum Dobrée since the April 18th 1896, and lent to the Castle of the dukes of Brittany in 2007 the time of an exposure on Anne.

Its emblems

Anne had inherited her predecessors the Breton dynastic emblems: hermine busy (of Jean IV), of hermine lime pit (of Jean III), cordelière (of François Ier). She made use also of her figure, the letter crowned, of the currency " Not mudera" (I will not change), and of the particular shape of the paternal cordelière, tied into 8. Its emblems were joined in the decoration of its castles and manuscripts with those of his/her husbands: the sword ignited for Charles VIII and the porcupine for Louis XII.

Its Great Hours

the Great Hours of Anne of Brittany is a book of prayers financed by Anne of Brittany to the illuminator Jean Bourdichon.

The Representations of Anne of Brittany

Of alive sound, royal propaganda of Charles VIII then of Louis XII introduced Anne of Brittany as a perfect queen, symbol of the union and peace between the kingdom of France and the duchy of Brittany. Austria de Maximilien, évincée of the marriage, carried another glance on these events. During centuries, the historians and the imaginary popular one introduced a Anne of sometimes different Brittany, allotting acts or characteristics physical and psychological to him which are not necessarily attested by historical elements. The article on the Représentations of Anne of Brittany records the principal divergences of with the historical sources.

1991

The five-hundredth birthday of the marriage of Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII of France was celebrated in 1991 in Langeais. In Rennes which had paid the price of this marriage of a seat, food shortage, and an occupation it was hardly mentioned.

Other references to Anne of Brittany

a song of Gilles Servat evokes his life: Koc' H ki gwenn ha koc' H ki of the
Some lines in the song of the group Soldier Louis, It is a country
Duchesse Anne , name of a beer produced in Brittany
the square three-masted ship Duchesse Anne , moored in the Port of Dunkirk.
Anne of Brittany a Breton opera with in title role Agnès Bove
If dead has bit , an anonymous poem going back to its funeral, and now sung by Tri Yann. Other songs of the repertory of the group refer to the Duchess.

Popularity of Anne of Brittany in Brittany

Anne of Brittany is the historical character most popular of Brittany, if one puts aside holy Yves. In testify the number of trade and hotel, street names various.

With this fact there are several explanations:

the destiny of this duchess who married three kings, including two kings de France, and was only one child when it had to marry the first (even if early engagement were common batch at that time);
the historical role hinge of Anne in the union of the duchy to the kingdom of France;
the fact that very little the history of Brittany is taught in the schools Brittany.

Houses, hotels

the houses of Anne of Brittany , with Guingamp, Morlaix, Dinan, Holy Malo and some other cities, are supposed to have accommodated the duchess at the time of sound Tro Breizh.
Hotel of the Duchess Anne to Nantes, Dinan, Ushant
Hotel Anne of Brittany with Saint-Malo, Rennes, the Plain-on-Sea, Valves
College Anne of Brittany with Rennes
College Anne of Brittany with Saint-Herblain.
Streets Anne of Brittany or duchess Anne a little everywhere in Brittany, but also with Langeais. Boulevard of the Duchess Anne in Rennes.
Festival Anne of Brittany with Blain
Out of Brittany :

Hotel Anne of Brittany with Blois
Hotel of the Duchess Anne with Langeais, Heavy, with Mount To soak (close to Woodstock, State of New York, the United States).
Chocolate factory the Duchess Anne with Saumur

See too

French history ~ Union of Brittany in France ~ List of the dukes of Brittany ~ Valois ~ Tomb of François II ~ Castle of the dukes of Brittany

Historic sites

the castle of Langeais, in Touraine, opened with the visits: a part in the castle puts in scene the marriage of Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII. See the site (partially in flash)

Further information

The Duchess Anne made gift of three crowns. A gold crown with Guérande (44), a money crown to the parish of Saillé (common of Guérande) and a " of bronze" (actually out of copper) with the parish of Trescallan which formed part of Guérande at that time and is today on the commune of Turballe (44). Of these three crowns, only that of Turballe reached us. The tradition wanted that the crown is deposited on the head of married at the time of the ceremony to the church. Henceforth, it is with the town hall of Turballe that the crown will be posed on the head of the bride, if she wishes it.

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