|
|
Before the work was done, Charles had a strange and
fateful accident. On his way to a match of "paume" (tennis), he
bumped his head on a low door in the basement of the castle. He
still saw the match, but by evening he fell unconscious and soon died.
He and
Anne had had sons, but both had died as children. "Thanks" to Joan of Arc, the rule of male-only heirs to the French throne was now undisputed. Having lost their male children, Anne and Charles had thought of a solution: Anne would marry the chosen cousin in case of Charles' untimely death. It is thus that Louis d'Orléans became successor to the Valois dynasty under the name Louis XII. Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne continued the marvelous work of bringing Italy to France. Amboise was the center of their work. Unfortunately, they too were unable to produce a male heir. This time their daughter was the key to avoiding disaster. Claude would marry François d'Angoûlème, who would rule as the greatest king of the French Renaissance: François I. He would continue the work on Amboise as he also built castles like Chambord and Fontainebleau. |
First
Previous
Next
LastPlease send e-mail to Michael Lastinger to provide feedback about this page.
This page last updated on 6/19/2004 12:14:09 PM.