Francis I of France

Hello! My name is Francis, and I was a king of France a very long time ago. I was born on September 12th, 1494. When I was a boy, I loved to read adventure stories about brave knights in shining armor. I imagined myself riding a horse and leading my people. I was tall and strong, and everyone said I looked just like a king even before I became one!

When I was 20 years old, in the year 1515, I became the King of France! It was a very big job, but I was so excited. I wanted to make my country the most beautiful and clever country in the world. I thought the best way to do that was to fill it with amazing art, beautiful buildings, and smart people who had wonderful ideas.

I invited some of the world's greatest artists to come live and work in France. My most famous friend was Leonardo da Vinci, who was a brilliant painter and inventor. In 1516, he came to France and brought his favorite painting with him—you might have heard of it, it’s called the Mona Lisa! I loved his work so much and was happy to have him close by.

I also loved building. I wanted my castles, called 'châteaux,' to look like something out of a fairy tale. One of my favorites is the Château de Chambord, which I started building in 1519. It has a magical staircase inside that looks like two spirals twisting together. Two people can walk up or down at the same time and never run into each other! It was a fun puzzle in the middle of a castle.

I was king for over 30 years, and I filled my country with art and beauty. I lived to be 52 years old. Today, people remember me as the king who brought the wonderful artistic time called the Renaissance to France. The beautiful castles I built and the amazing art I collected, like the Mona Lisa, can still be seen by everyone in France today.