Marin Sanudo, Venetian chronicler, recounts the time when the city fathers learned of the capture of French King Francis I by the forces of Emperor Carlos V.
Sanudo Diaries: February 25, 1525: (37:648-49); "This morning, Saturday, after the Collegio had come down from its meeting and the doge had come for dinner, a messenger arrived with letters from ser Piero da ca' da Pexaro, procurator and proveditor general, written in Brescia yesterday.... The doge read them: they brought the news that the armies clashed yesterday, the 24th, St. Matthew the Apostle's Day , and that the army of the Most Christian King had been defeated, and that nonetheless the fighting had continued the whole day."
[Our Editors note that 'the French king is always referred to in the diaries as re Christianissimo."]
"And a little later came another letter from the proveditor general ... describing how this Paulo da Bologna... reported that the french army had been defeated, the King wounded and captured -- some say he is dead -- and Monsignor the admiral killed...."
[Our Editors note that this Admiral was Guillaume Gouffier, seigneur di Bonnivet.]
A later letter said the king was not captured but,
"... the Swiss and the men-at-arms in block formation were heading in the direction of Milan. And the letter told how the Spaniards ... had assailed this camp, breaching its stockades, and how the rest of the troops had fled across the Ticino with the Spaniards in pursuit.
And it was agreed that this was very bad news for this state."
That Carlos V had captured the King of France -- in battle, in Pavia, Italy -- was indeed big news. But we should step back and recognize that, of course, Carlos was the grandson of Emperor Maximilian. Carlos was also the first king de jure of Castile and Aragon. Indeed, Carlos' father, Phillip the handsome, had been married to 'mad' Joanna of Castile, by his father Max's negotiations. Another marriage between Phillip's sister Margaret, to John of Asturia had also been arranged to cement relations between Austria, Burgundy and central Spain. The result of this double alliance was the eventual control of the Habsburg dynasty over the powerhouse that became Spain.
Margaret was the only other child that Mary of Burgundy bore for Maximilian besides Philip before her death. John of Asturia, the son and only heir of Ferdinand and Isabella in Castile would die the 4th October 1497, after six months of marriage.
Margaret would soon return to the Netherlands as godmother to her newborn nephew Carlos V, born the 24th February, 1500. She would see him grow up in her palace now in Belgium. She would also marry the Duke of Savoy, Philibert II. But he would also die shortly thereafter. She, however would indeed go on to play a major role in local and international politics. In 1506 she was elected by an assembly to represent them as regent for the Lowlands. In 1507 Max named her guardian of the young Carlos. She also had begun a massive improvement on her palace in Mechlehen (between Antwerp and Brussels) then. She would oversee the upbringing of a number of prominent children in those days. She would play a hand in The League of Cambrai and the peace negotiated afterward called 'The Ladies Peace'. This would be with Louise of Savoy, the mother of king Francis. These would be lessons in both Carlos and Francis' upbringing.
It was on his birthday, it was said, that Carlos, king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, had captured King Francis I of France. When news of this arrived in Venice, some were greatly saddened and some were elated, gave their thanks to God while others partied long into the night.
Sanudo Diaries: February 25, 1525: (37: 650); The Milanese, the English, and the Imperial ambassadors, "... gathered together with great jubilation and joy with a large group of their people and the exiles from Milan. They went to the Madonna di Miracoli to hear a solemn Te Deum...."
The Venetians had a secret treaty with the king of France signed the previous Christmas and were indeed very worried. Sanudo was happy enough to go to a rehearsal of a comedy put on by the Valorosi at Ca' Dandolo in Venice.
Sanudo Diaries: February 25, 1525: (37:653); "The commedia was most beautiful, with intermezzi of poetry and instrumental music. Everyone praised it. It ended at the seventh hour of the night, and among other things, those who performed were very well costumed in gold brocade and silk, and the stage was marvelously decorated, as was the room, and in place of decorative roses there were basins and large cups of silver, forty-two in all."
_____________________________________________________
from Venice, Cita Excellentissima, Selection from the Renaissance Diaries of Marin Sanudo translated by Linda L Carroll, editors: Patricia H LaBalme and Laura Sanguineti White, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment