Francis III, Duke of Brittany
| Francis III | |
|---|---|
Francis of France by Corneille de Lyon
|
|
| Duke of Brittany | |
| Reign | 20 July 1524 – 10 August 1536 |
| Predecessor | Claude |
| Successor | Henry |
| Born |
28 February 1518 Château d'Amboise |
| Died | 10 August 1536 (aged 18) Château de Tournon |
| Burial | Saint Denis Basilica |
| House | Valois-Angoulême |
| Father | Francis I of France |
| Mother | Claude, Duchess of Brittany |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Francis III of Brittany (Breton: Frañsez; French: François; 28 February 1518, in Amboise – 10 August 1536) was Duke of Brittany and Dauphin of Viennois as the first son and heir of King Francis I of France and Duchess Claude of Brittany.
Francis I said of his son at birth, "a beautiful dauphin who is the most beautiful and strong child one could imagine and who will be the easiest to bring up". His mother, Claude, Duchess of Brittany, said, "tell the King that he is even more beautiful than himself". The Dauphin was christened at Amboise on 25 April 1519. Leonardo da Vinci, who had been brought to Amboise by Francis I, designed the decorations.
One of the most researched aspects of the Dauphin's short life is the time he and his brother Henry (later Henry II of France) spent as hostages in Spain. The king had been badly defeated and captured at the Battle of Pavia (1525) and became a prisoner of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, initially in the Alcázar in Madrid. In order to ensure his release, the king signed the Treaty of Madrid (1526). However, in order to ensure that Francis abided by the treaty, Charles demanded that the king's two older sons take his place as hostages. Francis agreed.
On 15 March 1526, the exchange took place at the border between Spain and France. The eight-year-old Dauphin and his younger brother Henry spent the next three years as captives of Charles V, a period that scarred them for life. The Dauphin's "somber, solitary tastes" and his preference for dressing in black (like a Spaniard) were attributed to the time he spent in captivity in Madrid. He also became bookish, preferring reading to soldiering.
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