Louise of Savoy

Biography

It is the girl of Philippe, duke of Savoy, known as '' without Ground '' and of Marguerite de Bourbon. To died of her mother, she was entrusted to Anne de Beaujeu, girl of the king de France Louis XI, then regent of the kingdom and which will have an influence of most important for its future.

In 1490, at 14 years, it marries Charles de Valois, count d' Angoulême, from which it has two children:

Marguerite of Angouleme, married in 1527 with Henri II '' of Albret '', king de Navarre, mother of Jeanne III '' of Albret '' and grandmother of the king de France Henri IV;
François I {{er}}, king de France (1515 - 1547).

Widow at nineteen years, it devotes herself to the education of her children, helped by her confessor, Cristoforo Numai of Forlì. Its single objective then becomes to prepare his/her son, his well Liked César with the accession with the throne, because the king Louis XII does not have a male descendant.

She is titrated duchess of Angouleme, duchess of Anjou and countess of Maine after the accession of her son to the throne of France with died of the king on January 1st 1515.

She is twice regent of France during the Italian campaigns of her son: in 1515, when it left to beat the Swiss ones with the Bataille of Marignan, then again in 1525 - 1526. The regency of Louise of Savoy east of first importance after the capture of the king at the time of the Battle of Pavia, because of its experiment it can organize the continuity of the kingdom and a diplomatic counter-offensive against the emperor Charles Quint. It there déploit all its energy and is illustrated by its diplomatic successes allowing alliances with the England of Henri VIII and the Ottoman Empire of Soliman the Magnificent the, and finally to obtain the release of the king François I {{er}}.

It still on the occasion to be illustrated by negotiating, in the name of her son, with Marguerite of Austria, controlling Spanish Netherlands, aunt de Charles Quint, the Paix of the Ladies, signed with Cambrai the August 5th 1529, which is however only one lull in the confrontation between François Ier and Charles Quint but which allows the release of its grandchildren François and Henri (against the modest nap of 2.000.000 of ecus of gold).

It has a great influence and can direct the kingdom according to its political and family interests. Its choices marked France durably. It would not be foreign either with the treason of the constable Charles of Bourbon (of which it recovered the majority of the grounds) and with the execution of Semblançay.

Louise of Savoy dies of the Peste the September 22nd 1531.

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