FRANCESCO I of Valois, king of FRANCE. — Born on 12 September 1494 to Carlo d'Orléans and Luisa di Savoia. The death of his father and the lack of sons of Luigi XII secured for him the succession to the throne (19 January 1515), which he inaugurated with a great military success achieved against the Swiss (Marignano, 13–14 September) and with the consequent acquisition of the duchy of Milan.
But the programme of the conquest of the Milanese territories inherited from Luigi XII was destined to assume broader proportions when the imperial election of Carlo d'Auburgo (28 June 1519) placed France in the necessity of engaging in a struggle that was not to end even with the death of the two rival monarchs. The first phase concluded with the defeat at Pavia (24–25 February 1525). F. I, having been taken pri-
