SEE ALSO Borgias Home | Borgia Characters | Borgias Cast
 King Charles VIII | as played by Michel Muller |
 |
| ||||||||
| "You will have your war, and it will be fought the French way!" | |||||||
 | KING CHARLES VIII PREVIOUS SEASONS |
| |
| Season One |
| |||
| Historical - Charles VIII was called the affable, was king from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was the only son of Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy, she was his second wife. At the time of his accession at the age of 13 he did not have any aptitude for government, he has poor intelligence and was in poor health. His sister Anne and her husband Peter II, Duke of Bourbon, seigneur de Beaujeu, were in charge of the government the first year of his reign, until 1491. Described by her father "the least insane woman in France". Charles VIII married 14 year old Anne of Brittany in December 1491 at the Chateu de Langeais, Anne was not happy with that marriage and she arrived with her entourage carrying two beds. Buying their neutrality with big concessions, Charles secure France against invasions, in that way he made treaties with Austria and England. Building up a large army, including one of Europe's first siege trains, with artillery was one of the resources he devoted to France. Through his paternal grandmother, Marie of Anjou, Charles had a vague claim to the Kingdom of Naples. In 1489 Ferdinand I of Naples, offered Naples to Charles through Pope Innocent VIII. In 1494 Alfonso II Ferdinand's successor urged Charles to go to take Naples, after Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan was threatened by him. With 25,000 men ( including 8,000 Swiss mercenaries) in 1495 he marched across the peninsula, by reaching Naples. Without a pitched battle the French army subdue Florence in passing and took Naples, Charles was crowned King of Naples and Alfonso was expelled. The presence of the King and his army were very appreciated in the Republic of Florence. By that moment the corruption in Florence was really bad and the friar Savonarola though that King Charles VIII was God tool to purify the corruption of Florence. Eventually all this conflict lead to another situation between Pope Alexander VI, who despised the King of Italy and Savonarola. Eventually Savonarola was suspected of heresy and executed by the state. |
| ||||
| Family members: Father - King Louis XI Mother - Charlotte of Savoy Enemies: -- Romances: -- | Allies: -- Marriage(s): Anne, Duchess of Brittany Victim(s):-- Town of Lucca | |||
| |||
|
| |||
|
| ||||
| How does King Charles VIII in The Borgias compare to actual history? Compare the facts with the fiction below! | ||||
| ON THE BORGIAS... | IN HISTORY... | |||
|
| |||