CARLO VIII, king of FRANCIA. - Son of Luigi XI and Carlotta di Savoia, b. at Amboise on 30 June 1470, d. there on 7 Apr. 1498. Frail and in poor health, at the age of thirteen he succeeded his father under the regency of his sister Anna, wife of Pietro de Beaujeu; this regency lasted seven years and succeeded in overcoming and defeating the revolt of the feudal lords. The marriage of C. to Anna, heiress to the duchy of Bretagna, in 1491, united that duchy to the crown of Francia. In the same year C. personally assumed the government of the kingdom, and the prudent wisdom of the regent was thereafter followed by the king’s reckless ventures.
Under the pretext of his rights to the crown of Napoli, having appeased Germania by ceding Artois and Franca Contea, and Spagna by ceding Rossiglione and Cerdagna, he descended into Italia. He passed through Firenze and Roma, where, toward the end of 1494, he compelled Alessandro VI to come to terms. At the beginning of 1495 he was in Napoli and believed he had conquered the Regno. But meanwhile a league of Italian princes was formed against him in his rear. C. rapidly turned back. At Fornovo he barely succeeded in forcing a passage through the troops of the confederates (6 July). Having returned to Francia, he lost his only son Carlo. He was contemplating another expedition into Italia when death overtook him.