François Marie Ier della Rovere , born with Senigallia the March 25th 1490 and deceased with Pesaro the October 20th 1538, is a Condottiere of the Renaissance which was duke of Urbin (today Province of Pesaro and Urbino in the area of the Marches).

Biography

Wire of Jean (Giovanni) Della Rovere, lord of Senigallia and general captain of the Church, and of Jeanne (Giovanna) of Montefeltro, girl of Frederic III of Montefeltro, it accepted the teaching of humanistic Ludovico Odasio. His/her uncle Guidobaldo I {{er}} of Montefeltro, not having children, decided to bring it at his court of Urbin and in 1504 chooses it like its heir and made his/her adoptive son of them. In 1502 the family Della Rovere lost the stronghold of Senigallia which was invaded by César Borgia, which, in a few years, had been essential like the Master of the province of the Marches.

In 1507, it married then Éléonore de Mantoue (1493-1550), 14 years old, girl of François II Gonzague, marquis de Mantoue, and of Isabelle d' Este.

When in 1508, with died of Guidobaldo I {{er}}, died out the line of the “Montefeltro”, François became lord of Urbin. Moreover, thanks to the intervention of Jules della Rovere, his uncle, elected official with the papal throne in 1503 under the name of Jules II, it could finally take again the control of Senigallia. In 1509 François Marie became, like her father before him and always by nomination of Jules II, captain general of the Church, function which enabled him to be illustrated thereafter in the war against Ferrare and Venice.

In 1513, in reward of the services rendered to the Church, the duchy increased city of Pesaro. However its priviligiée position effritta little by little, until the death of his/her uncle Jules II and the election of Leon X. This political change cost him the loss of Pesaro which in 1516 was entrusted to Laurent de Médicis, grandson of the pope Leon X.

After having fought in Lombardy of 1523 with 1525, under the reign of another Médicis, Clement VII, they della Rovere were to pass in the second plan in the Italian policy.

According to many historians, the lack of energy of François Marie della Rovere, who contrasts with military successes of Jean of the Black Bands, the last of the large condottieres, explains the invasion of the Lansquenet S of Charles Quint. The descent of these troops of mercenaries in Italy ended in the catch of the castle of Milan in September 1526, then the Sac of Rome in 1527.

One of the last vicissitudes of its reign was the catch of Pavia, which fell at the end from the Années 1520, and its rallying with the armies of Venice. Thereafter, against the opinion of the pope, it arranged, in its stronghold of the Marches, the marriage of his son Guidobaldo II della Rovere with Julia Da Varano.

The radiation of its court increased with the courses of the last years of its reign especially by its action of Mécène, a tradition of the duchy. Moreover, it improved the fortifications of its place-strong, started with his father Giovanni (which had made strengthen the Roche of Senigallia ).

He died in Pesaro the October 20th 1538 and his/her son Guidobaldo II della Rovere succeeded to him.

Descent

From its union with Éléonore de Mantoue were born twelve children:

• Guidobaldo (1514-1574) which succeeded his/her father,
• Ippolita (1525-1561) who married, in 1531, the prince Antoine d' Aragon, duke of Montalto,
• Elisabetta (1529-1561) which married, in 1552, prince Albéric Ier Cybo-Malaspina, marquis of Massa and prince of Carrare,
• Giulia Feltria (1531-1563) which married in 1549 Alfonso d' Este, marquis of Montecchio, wire of Alphonse I {{er}} of Este, Duc of Modena,
• Giulio Feltrio (1533-1598), cardinal in 1547, archbishop of Ravenne and Urbin,
• and seven old dead children from one to three years.

Portraits

There exist two portraits of the duke of Urbin preserved today at the Galerie of the Offices has Florence. The first is a work of Titien which represents François Marie in armor. This table, ordered in 1532, was completed by Titien in 1538.

The second portrait of the duke is due to the painter Raphaël. This table, gone back to 1504, represents the duke then fourteen years old and is entitled “Portrait of the young man to apple”.

External bonds

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nota : the colors gold and azure are those of the town of Urbin.

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