Louis XII

The reign of Louis XII (1498-1515) has been much neglected by historians. Falling between the conventional end of the French middle ages and Francis I’s notional ushering in of Renaissance France, Louis’ rule ’belongs’ neither to medievalists nor to historians of the the early modern period. While not in the front rank of French monarchs, Louis XII, ’The Father of the People’, remains an interesting and appealing figure, and the events of his reign (the Valois-Habsburg wars in Italy, Louis’ bitter disputes with Pope Julius II, the complications of his marriages) had a profound effect on the future of the French state. France’s church, legal system, and cultural life (many of the artistic achievements associated with the reign of Francis I in fact occurred under Louis) were all strongly influenced by the king, and this readable and lucid account of his rule offers a wealth of interesting information.

FREDERIC J. BAUMGARTNER is Professor of History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia