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Valois Dynasty
Valois Dynasty, the royal house ofFrance from 1328 to 1589, ruling the nation from the end of the feudal period into the early modern age. The Valois kings continued the work of unifying France and centralizing royal power begun under theirpredecessors, theCapetian dynasty (q.v.).
The House of Valois was a branch of the Capetian family, for it was descended fromCharles of Valois, whose Capetian father, KingPhilip III, awarded him the county of Valois in 1285. Charles’s son and successor, Philip, count of Valois, became king of France asPhilip VI in 1328, and thus began the Valoisdynasty. The house subsequently had three lines: (1) the direct line, beginning with Philip VI, which reigned from 1328 to 1498; (2) the Valois-Orléans branch, which consisted of one member,Louis XII (reigned 1498–1515), son of Charles, duc d’Orléans, a descendant of KingCharles V; and (3) the Valois-Angoulême branch, beginning withFrancis I, son of Charles, count of Angoulême, another descendant of Charles V; it reigned from 1515 to 1574 and was succeeded by theBourbondynasty, another branch of the Capetians.
The early kings of the Valois dynasty were occupied primarily with fighting theHundred Years’ War (1337–1453), which broke out under Philip VI (reigned 1328–50). During this period the monarchy was threatened both by the English, who at times controlled much of France, and by the revived strength of feudal lords, such as the Armagnac and Burgundian factions, which challenged the supremacy of the kings.Charles VII (reigned 1422–61) met these threats and began the task of restoring royal power.
The Valois kings gradually increased their authority at the expense of the privileges of the feudal lords. The crown’sexclusive right to levy taxes and to wage war was established; and many of the basic administrative institutions that had begun to develop under the Capetians continued to evolve under the Valois; for example, theParlements (courts) were extended throughout France to dispense royaljustice. Their strong position in France enabled three of the Valois kings (Charles VIII, reigned 1483–98; Louis XII, reigned 1498–1515; and Francis I, reigned 1515–47) to undertake the ultimately unsuccessfulItalian wars of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. These wars marked the start of Valois rivalry with theHabsburgs (ruling house of the Holy Roman Empire), a rivalry which lasted until the end of the French dynasty.
The French Renaissance occurred during the reigns of Francis I andHenry II (reigned 1547–59). TheWars of Religion (1562–98) weakened the power of the last Valois kings, for militant Roman Catholic and Protestantfactions dominated politics.