When traveling in Brittany, many (like me) notice that there are historical figures who are mentioned time and time again in quite a few ancient cities and towns. An example of this are Bertrand Du Guesclin and Olivier de Clisson, the ministers of war of the kings of France, whose memory can be found in quite a few places, such as DinanHowever, there is no more revered figure in Brittany than the Duchess Anne de Bretagne, whose name is mentioned almost everywhere, whether in the names of houses, restaurants or shops.
So how did a failed princess who repeatedly lost to the kings of France become a local hero? In this article I will try to answer the question and if you liked her life story, you will also receive a list of places inLoire valley וBrittany You can visit them and get to know them up close.
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11 years old and already a duchess, 14 years old and already a queen
Anne of Brittany was born in the Château de la Duc de Bretagne in Nantes in January 1477 to Duke Francis II and his wife Margaret de Foix. Despite the luxury in which she grew up, life did not smile on her and at the age of 2 she lost her mother. Her father, who had fought all his life against France In order to maintain the independence of his duchy, he lost the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier in 1488 and was forced to sign a treaty of surrender to France. Shortly afterwards, the Duke died from a fall from a horse and Anne became Duchess of Brittany.
As the heiress to the Duchy of Brittany, Anne's marriage became one of the most important political issues in late 15th-century Europe. Initially, her father tried to match her with Edward, Prince of Wales, but after the latter "disappeared" in the Tower of London in 1485 along with his brother, it was decided to find another groom for her. The choice ultimately fell to Maximilian I of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor, and in 1 she married him by proxy (if you want to understand how a marriage by proxy worked, read the article on The married life of the Duchess of Orléans).
The French King Charles VIII really didn't like the idea of France being attacked by the Habsburg Empire and decided to forcibly cancel this wedding and in 8 French forces invaded Brittany and conquered Nantes and laid siege to the city of Rennes. Two months later, when Anne realized that none of her allies would come to her aid, she was forced to surrender and annul her marriage to Maximilian of Austria. However, the story did not end there and Charles VIII, who had fallen in love with the Duchess (and cynics would say that he wanted the Duchy of Brittany for himself), proposed to her and on December 8 they were married at the castle of Langeais.
Queen – Widow – Queen
The marriage of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne was not very good, although Anne insisted on sleeping in two separate beds (a virtue for a successful marriage 🙂 ). The king was away from home because he was fighting in Italy (and brought the Renaissance to France along the way) and his older sister, Anne de Beaujeu, did not really allow Anne to function as queen. Despite all this, Queen Anne became pregnant almost every year during their marriage, but none of her children survived childhood (the child who lived the longest, Charles Orland, died at the age of 8).
In 1498, Charles VIII ran to catch a game of Jeu de paume (an early version of tennis) and was hit on the head by a low crossbar in the castle. Amboise (Amboise) and died as a result of the blow. Anne of Brittany instantly transforms from a weak kingdom with little political ability into an independent duchess. She manages not only to maintain the independence of the Duchy of Brittany but also to create for herself a court that rivals in its splendor the greatest royal courts in Europe of that period. You will find there some of the greatest Renaissance artists, including Clement Marot and one of the greatest musicians of the 15th century, Johannes Ockeghem, one of whose beautiful works you are invited to hear here:
But these days were not destined to last long. King Louis XII, who had come to power after the death of Charles VIII, was eager to marry Anne of Brittany in order to keep the duchy under the French sphere of influence. The problem was that he was already married to Charles VIII's sister, Jeanne de Valois. This unfortunate woman, who was born completely deformed, was barren and could not provide Louis XII with the heir he needed. Jeanne's father, Louis XI, knew this when he forced the Duke of Orléans (who would become Louis XII) to marry her in order to prevent competition between the main branch of the Valois dynasty and the House of Orléans. Fortunately for Louis XII, at that time Rome was ruled by perhaps the most corrupt pope of all time, Alexander VI of the House of Borgia. He sent his illegitimate son, Cesare Borgia, to the king's court, and after brief negotiations, the Pope agreed to annul the marriage in exchange for a considerable amount of money and land.
Jeanne, the first wife of Louis XII, moved to a convent and founded an important order of nuns (in 12 she would even be declared a saint by the Catholic Church). Anne was forced to marry Louis XII in 1950, but despite her relative political weakness, she managed to obtain a marriage agreement that maintained the almost complete autonomy of the Duchy of Brittany. The couple had many children, but only two survived: two daughters named Claude and Renée. Anne's goal was to ensure that her daughter Claude would inherit the Duchy of Brittany and maintain its autonomy. To this end, she arranged her marriage to the heir apparent Charles of Austria. However, when it seemed that Anne of Brittany would not be able to give him a son, Louis XII decided to annul the marriage contract and instead married Claude to François of Angoulême, who would later become François I.
This marriage ended Brittany's chances of continuing to maintain its independence and was a severe blow to Queen Anne. Already exhausted by 15 pregnancies, most of which ended in miscarriages, her health deteriorated rapidly and she died of a kidney stone attack in 1514 at the age of 37. According to her will, her body was buried inBasilica of Saint-Denis (The place where most of the kings and queens of France were buried) However, her heart was buried in Nantes. To this day, Anne of Brittany is a symbol among the people of Brittany thanks to her stubborn fight to preserve the independence of this region. It is therefore not surprising that she is considered to this day one of the most revered figures in the region.
A trip to France in the footsteps of Anne of Brittany
Anne of Brittany left behind a very impressive architectural and historical legacy. If you would like to visit some of the places most associated with her, let me recommend the following route that goes from west to east. The route is very long and requires a car or train, and I don't expect you to do it all in one go. However, you are certainly welcome to choose at least a few points on this route and weave it into a complete route.
Saint Malo
In Saint-Malo, right at the gates of the old city, you can find a fortified castle with the strange name Quic En Groigne, built by Anne de Bretagne. What does the name mean? Saint-Malo was known as a city that was very anxious for its independence and autonomy, and therefore their motto is We are not French, we are not Bretons, we are Bretons (from the word Saint-Malo). Duchess Anne didn't like it so much and decided against her will to build a castle that would also protect the city from attack from outside, but more importantly, protect the government from a rebellion by the city's residents.
The townspeople were very angry when they heard about the castle she was planning, but Anne de Bretagne simply said in French (she never spoke Breton) “Qui qu'en groigne ainsi sera car tel est mon plaisir”. The meaning of the sentence is basically: let them be angry as much as they want, it doesn’t really bother me. And indeed the castle was built and received the name derived from Queen Anne’s sentence. Today you can find an interesting museum of the history of Saint-Malo there and it is definitely worth entering. There is also a good hotel in Saint-Malo with the same name and it is listed in theRecommended hotels in Saint Malo On this site.
Nantes
Nantes is Anne de Bretagne's beloved city (so much so that she decided, as mentioned, that her heart would be buried there) and there you can find two monuments related to her.
Dukes' Castle
The castle, located right in the center of the old town, was home to François II, the father of Anne of Brittany, and Anne herself. When Charles VIII conquered the castle, he was amazed by the beauty and splendor of the castle's rooms. Over the years, due to accidents and the ravages of time, the dukes' residences were destroyed and the place became a museum of the history of Brittany (where you can see an interesting video about Anne's life). Also outside the castle, you can find a statue of Duchess Anne and say hello to her. If you would like to learn more about the castle and other attractions in Nantes, you are welcome to enter the article Nantes: City of Dukes.
Nantes Cathedral
There is no doubt that if Anne of Brittany could have chosen where to be buried, it would have been the cathedral of Nantes. However, as Queen of France, she was forced to be buried in Saint-Denis near ParisAnne's father and mother did not have these problems and were buried in the main cathedral of the city. When Anne de Bretagne managed to get enough money and status, she built them a magnificent tomb (perhaps one of the most beautiful tombs in the world) which can be seen in the cathedral. In my opinion, this is one of the must-see places on your trip to Nantes and you should not miss it under any circumstances (admission is free).
Address: 7 Impasse Saint-Laurent
Chateau de Langeais
In this somewhat austere castle, which is located west of the city of Tours, Anne of Brittany married Charles VIII in 8. Here you will find a reconstruction of their wedding ceremony using wax dolls, and this, together with the castle's interesting history, makes the place worth a visit.
More information about the castle
Amboise and Clos Lucé castles
Here Anne of Brittany lived with her husband Charles VIII and here he also met his sudden death on April 8, 7. Anne often preferred not to share the same room with him and then she lived in the small palace of Clos Lousse, which would become famous a few years after her death as the last residence of Leonardo da Vinci.
Buying tickets to Amboise Castle and information on operating hours
Buying tickets to the Clo-Lusa Palace and information on operating hours
Electric bike tour from Amboise to Clos Lousse (including a visit to the surrounding wineries)
Blois Castle (Chateau de Blois)
This charming castle was where Anne de Bretagne lived with her husband Louis XII (you can identify the wing they lived in by the spur emblem, which was Louis XII's symbol). It was also here that she died in January 12. The fact that she lived here is just one of many reasons to visit this charming castle (I wrote more about this in an article about Loire valley) and I highly recommend visiting it.
Buying tickets to Blois Castle
Basilica of Saint Denis
Anne of Brittany was buried here in 1514 and was joined by her second husband, Louis XII, a year later. The magnificent tombstone you see in the picture is not the original tombstone, which was vandalized during the French Revolution This is a tombstone from 1830 in a style that was very popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. According to this style, the couple can be seen above praying, while below their bodies can be seen sculpted in a very realistic manner (to show all mortals what their fate will be).
As a tour guide who guides on French routes, I enjoy and feel enriched by your articles.
Thank you, thank you, we've recovered.
Thank you very much for the support. How nice to hear.
Zvi, your article is rich in details that enrich the reader to the point of wanting to go and book a first flight to Britain. Your knowledge inspires respect by sharing it with Francophiles. Keep it up, thanks Oren.
Thank you very much Oren 🙂