Francis I of France Document Signed – 1542 Royal Grant of Confiscated Property
Rare manuscript document signed “Françoys” by Francis I, King of France (1494–1547), boldly penned at the conclusion of this royal order issued at Lyon and dated September 8, 1542. Written in French on a single sheet of vellum, the document measures approximately 12.25" x 6.75", with an exceptionally large and ornate signature of Francis I.
In this letter, Francis I grants a house and property in Toulouse to Michel des Guides, one of his counselors and legal advocates in the Parliament of Toulouse. The estate, formerly owned by Pierre Romieu, had been confiscated by the Crown for crimes of lèse-majesté (offenses against the monarch). The king commands that des Guides be permitted to take full possession and enjoy the property without interference.
Countersigned at lower right by court official Bayard, this royal decree offers a striking example of Renaissance royal authority and legal procedure under Francis I, a patron of the arts and letters, and a pivotal figure in the French Renaissance.
Document remains in fine condition, with light age-toning . A rare and elegant example of 16th-century royal governance, boldly signed by the famed Renaissance monarch.Francis I (12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who died without a legitimate son.
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