A monarch of character, eager for glory and a seducer, Francis I is known for the many wars he launched and for the artistic development that France experienced during his reign.
Marked by his first expedition to Italy, he fell under the spell of the Italian Renaissance. He surrounded himself with the best artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, to introduce this style to the Kingdom of France.
Francis I built or remodeled eleven castles. He is notably responsible for the restoration of the Louvre and the enlargement of the Château de Fontainebleau.