Episode 275: Louise of Savoy
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Hey friend, welcome back to the Renaissance English History Podcast, a part of the Agora Podcast Network and the original Tudor History Podcast. My name is Heather, I am your host, and I've been podcasting on Tudor England since 2009, going on 16 years, my goodness. Today we are going to talk about Louise of Savoy, an overlooked matriarch of Renaissance France. I've been getting into more like

Renaissance European women of late. If you can't tell by the direction of this podcast, I've been reading or just got and have been referencing Amy License's The 16th Century in 100 Women. There's also Sylvia Barber Silverton's The Golden Age Ladies. So those are really interesting. And, you know, I've been kind of going through them and every day reading a different one.

And it's made me want to do more episodes about them. So that's where this is coming from. I'm kind of on a kick of expanding the net a little bit. And also, just before we get started, I want to, of course, thank all the supporters, the YouTube members, the Patreon supporters of this podcast. Welcome to Joan of Arc, apparently, started supporting me on Patreon, which is super cool. Joan Dark is the name. So welcome, Joan. Um...

And all of the YouTube members, I'm so grateful to have you. You keep this podcast going. I do have a new Patreon that is launching this week. I first set up my Patreon in 2014 and the only option they had at the time was to do per creation. So I would charge per podcast episode. And then I know that things changed over the time and like kind of the business models changed and everything went to like per month sort of stuff.

And I just never changed over because inertia and B, I thought it would be confusing for the people who are already supporters. And then I got a note from Patreon a couple months ago saying that they were forcing everybody to go to monthly tiers to comply with like a new rule on Apple. So I am changing that.

I have fought it because hashtag inertia, but I'm doing it. And actually, I think it's given me a chance to kind of go through and revamp and look at all the tiers and what do people get.

Some of the perks include extra audio courses that come out every month, discounts on all my programs. So people who are doing the year-long tutor countdown with me got a discount on that. The tutor Yuletide, you got a discount. We do author chats every month. We do extra episodes, all kinds of good stuff. So...

patreon.com slash englandcast to support on Patreon, or if you're listening to this on YouTube, you can just click join this channel to get basically the same perks. So patreon.com slash englandcast, new Patreon launching this week. Thank you so much. All right, let's get into it. Imagine standing at the crossroads of history where wars, alliances, and cultural revolutions collide.

At that intersection stood Louise of Savoy, a woman whose name might not roll off your tongue as quickly as that of her son Francis I, but who was unquestionably one of the great architects of Renaissance France. Her life was a masterclass in survival, ambition, and the art of making the impossible happen.

Born into a world that dismissed women as little more than pawns in the dynastic game, Louise of Savoy refused to play by those rules. Instead, she rewrote them. Her story is more than a mother's love for her son. It's about a woman who saw a bigger picture, who dared to dream of power not for its own sake, but for what it could accomplish.

How does a girl born into relative obscurity rise to become the power behind the throne of one of France's most iconic kings? Let's dive into her story, beginning at a small estate in Pont-Denis, where a baby girl was born who would change the course of European history.

Louise of Savoy entered the world on September 11, 1476. Her arrival wasn't met with trumpets or fanfare. She was just another noble daughter born into a system that valued sons as heirs and daughters as marital bargaining chips.

Her parents, Philip, Count of Bresse, and Margaret of Bourbon, didn't leave behind gushing records about her birth. Why would they? She wasn't a boy. A son might have secured alliances or strengthened their family's position. A daughter? Well, she was a future dowry payment, nothing more.

Louise's life took a sharp turn when she was only 11. Her mother died, likely of consumption, and her father, a man better known for his gambling and debts than his parenting skills, wasn't exactly father-of-the-year material. With Philip off chasing opportunities on the continent, young Louise needed a new home.

Enter Anne of Berger, the formidable sister of Charles VIII, who had been running France as regent since the death of their father, Louis XI. If Louise's early years had been marked by uncertainty, her time under Anne's roof was a crash course in courtly survival. Anne of Berger was a political force of nature. She was known for her sharp wit and her sharper instincts.

Anne became a mentor of sorts to Louise, teaching her both etiquette at court life and how to get along politically in this world dominated by men. Anne didn't coddle her charges. She prepared them for the brutal realities of royal ambition.

Louise learned quickly. She absorbed lessons about power dynamics, diplomacy, and the importance of appearances. For all of her wealth and status, Louise couldn't rely on privilege alone. She had to be both clever and observant. But life under Anne wasn't all politics. Louise was also exposed to the grandeur and cultural refinement of the French court.

Anne, despite her fierce demeanor, valued education and refinement, and she made sure that Louise was steeped in both. Yet there was a tension in Louise's young life, a constant reminder that her value, no matter how smart or capable she was, would ultimately be judged by her ability to secure a good marriage and produce sons. This lesson, harsh as it was, stuck with her. If Louise couldn't escape the system, she would learn to master it.

By the time Louise left Anne's care, she wasn't just a girl from a noble family. She was a young woman with a razor-sharp understanding of power and an unshakable determination to secure her place in a world that seemed designed to keep her down. Little did anyone know the lessons she absorbed during these formative years would lay the groundwork for one of the most remarkable political careers of the time.

At the age of 12, Louise of Savoy's life took another dramatic turn when she was married to Charles, Count of Angoulême. It was a common fate for noble girls of her time, barely out of childhood and thrust into the adult world of marriage, alliances, and expectations.

For Louise, the transition was terrifying. She wasn't marrying a boy her own age, but a man who was 17 years older, someone she had little control over and no experience dealing with. Louise's letters from this period reveal a young girl grappling with anxieties far beyond her years.

In one note, she confided to her father her fears about her new life. I do not know whether I shall please him or whether I shall fail in what is expected of me. Her concerns extended to her new role as the lady of the Angoulême household, where every gesture and word would be scrutinized. She was acutely aware that her success or failure would reflect not just on her but also her family.

Her early years as a bride were shaped by the challenges of adapting to court life. The Angoulême court was smaller and less prestigious than the royal one she had experienced under Anne of Berger, but it was no less political. Louise observed the dynamics between nobles and their retainers, noting how power was wielded through subtle gestures, alliances, and whispered words in shadowed corners.

Despite her youth, Louise began to develop the keen political instincts that would later define her. She learned to watch and to listen, absorbing the strategies of those around her. It wasn't long before she started forming her own ideas about how power could be wielded, not through brute force but through careful manipulation of relationships and opportunities.

Yet, life with Charles wasn't all strategy and observation. While their marriage was arranged for political convenience, it appears to have been a generally amicable one. Charles wasn't an ambitious man. He was kind to Louise, and their relationship, while certainly not passionate, offered her some stability. Stability, though, wasn't enough for Louise. She had ambitions for herself and her children that far outstripped her husband's modest aspirations.

In those early years, as she adjusted to married life, Louise was already laying the foundation for a future where she and her family would rise far above the limited world she had been born into. At Verizon, anyone can trade in their old phone for a new one on us with Unlimited Ultimate. Which means everyone in your family could get a new phone and stay on your family plan, keeping you close. Hey mom, you seen my toothbrush? I don't know. Maybe too close.

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Hey, corporate types, Billy Idol here. Just because you use Workday to drive long-term success, it doesn't make you a rock star. Rock stars drive fast cars, not business operations. Be a finance and HR rock star with Workday. In 1494, Louise gave birth to her firstborn, a son she named Francis. It was a moment of overwhelming joy and relief for a young mother who understood all too well the stakes of producing a male heir.

The arrival of Frances cemented her position in the Angoulême family and set her dreams into motion. Just two years later, she welcomed her daughter Margaret, a brilliant child who grew up to be one of the most accomplished women of her time. Yet from the very beginning, Louise's focus was on Frances. To her, he was the key to a future far grander than anyone could have imagined.

Legend has it that shortly after Francis' birth, the Italian hermit and mystic Francis of Paola visited Louise. Known for his prophetic abilities, the hermit made an extraordinary prediction. Her son would one day become king of France. It was a really bold claim considering Francis was not directly in line for the throne. But for Louise, it was more than a prophecy, it was a mission.

From that moment on, every decision she made was calculated to prepare Francis for a destiny that she believed was preordained. Louise's maternal ambitions shaped every aspect of her son's upbringing. Unlike many noble women of her time, she didn't delegate his care entirely to wet nurses or tutors. She was deeply involved in his education, ensuring he was not only skilled in the arts of war and diplomacy, but also steeped in cultural and intellectual currents of the Renaissance.

She surrounded him with the best minds she could find, emphasizing the importance of knowledge, charm, and charisma, qualities that would make him stand out not just as a nobleman but also as a leader. Her dreams for Francis were inextricably linked to her own understanding of power. She saw the fractures in the Valois dynasty and understood that opportunities often arose from chaos.

Louise nurtured her son and taught him to seize opportunities when they came. She imbued him with her own unyielding confidence and ambition, whispering in his ear that he was destined for greatness. In 1496, tragedy struck Louise of Savoy's life when her husband, Charles, died after a lingering illness. She was just 19 years old and she had two small children. Margaret was still an infant and Francis was about two years old.

Widows in Louise's position often found themselves at the mercy of their extended families, but Louise wasn't one to simply fade into the background. She transformed her grief into determination, dedicating herself to ensuring her children's survival and success. Without a husband to shield her or champion her children's claims, Louise had to rely on her own wits and resourcefulness. The Angoulême family was not particularly powerful, and Francis's claim to the French throne was tenuous at best. Yet,

Yet Louise saw potential where others saw limitations. She secured her family's position by forging alliances with influential figures at court, displaying a sharp sense of strategy that rivaled any seasoned politician.

She cultivated relationships with key nobles and carefully avoided alienating her late husband's rivals. A pivotal figure in her strategy was Louis XII. When he ascended to the throne in 1498, Louise found herself in a delicate but potentially advantageous position. Louis was childless and didn't have a male heir, which meant that her son, though not an immediate contender, was still part of the extended Valois family tree.

Louise positioned herself as a loyal ally to the king. She ensured that Francis grew up at the royal court, where his charm and intelligence could capture the attention of those who mattered. Louise understood that she couldn't rely on bloodline alone to secure her son's future. She worked tirelessly to build a network of supporters who could champion Francis's cause when the time came. Every decision she made was driven by the goal of elevating her son to the throne.

And as she maneuvered through court life, Louise's reputation as a shrewd and unyielding strategist began to take shape. So it all panned out for her when, on January 1st, 1515, Francis ascended to the throne, fulfilling the prophecy. Louis XII died without a male heir, and the crown passed to Francis, who was the closest male relative in the Valois line.

One interesting thing about French succession is that France operated under the Salic law, which restricted inheritance to only male descendants. And Francis and Louis XII weren't necessarily the closest of relatives. They were actually first cousins once removed. So while they may have had to go back a bit to find their common relationship, Francis was the closest male heir because women could not inherit.

As Francis stepped into his role as king, Louise became his most trusted advisor. Their relationship was unusually close for monarch and mother. It kind of reminds me of like Henry VII and Margaret Beaufort. Also, Louise of Savoy was really young when she had Francis, just like Margaret was young when she had Henry. So there's a lot of commonalities there with Francis and Henry VIII's father, Henry VII.

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Francis openly acknowledged her as the mother of the king and the kingdom, and when he embarked on an ambitious military campaign in Italy, Louise took on the role of regent, wielding power with remarkable skill. She managed the kingdom's finances, quelled rebellions, and maintained the fragile balance of power among the nobility. Her most significant test came during the 1525 Battle of Pavia, when Francis was captured by the Spanish.

While others panicked, Louise acted decisively. She negotiated with Charles V to secure her son's release and preserve the stability of the French crown.

Louise's influence extended far beyond politics. Of course, she was a passionate patron of the arts. She ushered in what many considered to be the golden age of the French Renaissance. Under her guidance, the Court of Francis became a hub of cultural and intellectual activity, and Louise encouraged her son to invite luminaries like Leonardo da Vinci to France, cementing the country's reputation as a center of artistic innovation.

She also supported lesser-known artists and poets and scholars, recognizing the power of culture to bolster her son's reign. Some of her battles were deeply personal. Chief among her rivals was Anne of Brittany. Anne of Brittany is fascinating. She became the queen of two French kings.

First, she was married to Charles VIII. This united Brittany and France. She was struggling to keep control of Brittany separate. She always wanted Brittany to stay independent. Anyway, then after he died, she married Louis XII of France, who had been Charles' successor. So during the time when Louise is going to court and raising Francis at court, Anne is married to Louis XII. There's the possibility that they could have a son, which would knock Francis out of the running entirely.

They did have children, only two survived to adulthood and they were both girls. And then the fact that Anne had daughters and Francis was rising under Louise's tutelage meant that there was tension around who those daughters might marry.

Anne of Brittany was fiercely protective of her daughters, particularly Claude, who was the heir to Brittany, and she had hoped to marry Claude to Charles V, who was then a young prince of the Habsburgs, which would have strengthened Brittany's relationships outside of France. But Louise of Savoy wanted her son to marry Claude, ensuring that Brittany would be absorbed into the French crown and also making it clear that Francis was Louis XII's heir.

If Francis marries his daughter, then it's clear that he will be the heir, right? Because there are no other sons. In the end, Louise's ambitions prevailed. Francis had married Claude in 1514, so that when Louis XII died, Francis was the obvious heir and it didn't pose any kind of challenge or anything like that.

The two women, Anne and Louise, clashed over everything from marriages to court appointments. But Louise knew how to pick her battles. She avoided open confrontation with Anne, choosing instead to work behind the scenes, leveraging her alliances and outmaneuvering her rival in the long game of court politics. Louise of Savoy passed away on September 22, 1531. She left behind a legacy that shaped not only the reign of Francis, but also French history.

Louise was never a queen, but she wielded power and influence that rivaled any crowned ruler of her time. As regent, she proved her political acumen during some of the most precarious moments in French history. Her negotiation skills when she secured her son's release from captivity showed her ability to manage European diplomacy. And she stabilized the French crown during times of upheaval.

Her contributions to arts and culture left a lasting mark on the Renaissance. Without her foresight and support, people like Leonardo da Vinci might never have made their way to France, and the French Renaissance might have been a shadow of what it became.

But perhaps her greatest legacy is the lessons that she gave to her children. Francis's confidence, charm, and boldness were reflections of his mother's teaching. Marguerite of Navarre, Louise's daughter, would go on to become a celebrated writer and intellectual, often credited as one of the first modern feminists. She might not be remembered as widely as her son or her daughter, but her story is one of remarkable perseverance and influence.

From a young widow with no resources to the architect of a dynasty, she played her part with courage and brilliance. Her life reminds us that behind every throne, there is often a figure whose strength and vision make the impossible possible. For France, that figure was Louise of Savoy.

So we will leave it there for now. A little bit about Louise. You know, we've talked about her daughter, Marguerite of Navarre. We've talked about Claude. We've talked a lot about these kind of other figures, but I never had done an episode on Louise and I think she deserves one. All right. Remember the new Patreon launching this week, patreon.com slash England cast, where you can get all kinds of extra episodes, extra content, all kinds of good stuff. Thank you so much for your support, my friends.

All right, we will leave it there for now. I will speak with you again very soon. Have an amazing week. I'll talk to you soon. Bye-bye.

Thank you.

At Verizon, anyone can trade in their old phone for a new one on us with Unlimited Ultimate. Which means everyone in your family could get a new phone and stay on your family plan, keeping you close. Hey mom, you seen my toothbrush? I'm good with it. Oh, maybe too close. Trade in and additional terms apply. See Verizon.com for details.

Whoa, easy there. Yeah.

applies to online activations, requires port in and auto pay. Customers activating in stores may be charged non-refundable activation fees.