Origins & Early Life

Louis XII (27 June 1462 – 1 January 1515), also known as Louis of Orléans, was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples (as Louis III) from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles I, Duke of Orléans, and Marie of Cleves, he succeeded his second cousin once removed and brother-in-law, Charles VIII, who died childless in 1498. Louis was the second cousin of King Louis XI, who compelled him to marry the latter's disabled and supposedly sterile daughter Joan. By doing so, Louis XI hoped to extinguish the Orléans cadet branch of the House of Valois.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

When Louis XII became king in 1498, he had his marriage with Joan annulled by Pope Alexander VI and instead married Anne, Duchess of Brittany, the widow of Charles VIII. This marriage allowed Louis to reinforce the personal Union of Brittany and France. Louis of Orléans was one of the great feudal lords who opposed the French monarchy in the conflict known as the Mad War. At the royal victory in the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier in 1488, Louis was captured, but Charles VIII pardoned him and released him. He subsequently took part in the Italian Wars, initiating a second Italian campaign for the control of the Kingdom of Naples.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Louis conquered...

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