Contagious Love – The Story of the Death of Francis I

Francis I (1494-1547) was undoubtedly one of France’s most colorful kings. He is best known today as the last patron of Leonardo da Vinci and as the builder of the new Louvre and the Château de Chambord. However, like many French kings, Francis I was known not only as a builder but also as a lover. And it was this that would ultimately kill him…

When you start with the wrong lady

It all began with a failed battle in 1525 near the city of Pavia, near Milan, during which Francis I was captured by the Spanish and gave the world the famous phrase “We have lost everything except honor.” After being captured, Francis I was transferred to Madrid and held there for about a year until he agreed to sign a peace treaty in which France lost quite a bit of territory to Spain.

During the year he was held captive, the King of France was not kept in chains in a dank dungeon, but was given a small palace with servants who took care of his needs, among whom was a young and beautiful Spanish maid, whose name has disappeared from the pages of history. The womanizing and bored king began to court her vigorously, and before long a stormy affair began to develop between them.

However, there was a small problem – the Spanish maid had a particularly hot-blooded Spanish husband. That husband heard about the developing affair and immediately wanted to kill the king and his wife, who had grown horns for him. The big problem the betrayed husband encountered was the strict guarding of the French king, which did not allow him to get close to him and carry out his plot on the king.

Murder by courier

After much thought and planning, the husband decided to take a roundabout approach to carry out his plan. One day, the husband left his home and traveled to the city of Madrid to visit one of the escort girls, who was known for her variety of sexually transmitted diseases. The husband did not waste much time and after paying for the service and doing what he did, he returned home.

That evening, when his wife returned home, the husband was more than usual kind, and after a romantic dinner, the couple got into a heated argument and ended the evening with a stormy lovemaking. The woman, who of course suspected nothing, continued to meet with the king in his bedroom, thus unintentionally passing on to him the venereal disease she herself had contracted.

Shortly thereafter, Francis I began to show the first signs of illness, which rapidly worsened and brought him to his deathbed. The King of Spain, seeing how the royal bargaining chip was slipping from his hands, even called out in desperation to the sister of the King of France, Marguerite of Navarre, to come and try to save him.

Although the nurse managed to make François recover, the disease did not leave his body and continued to attack him in the years that followed until it overcame him in 1547.

The moral? A condom is not just the name of a charming city in France, but also a means of protection that can protect kings and commoners alike. Remember to use it 🙂