Jacques de La Palice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacques de La Palice
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Painting of La Palice at the Château de Beauregard, Loire Valley
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| Born | 1470 |
| Died | February 24, 1525 (aged 54–55) Battle of Pavia |
Jacques de La Palice (born 1470 – died 1525) was a brave French nobleman and a skilled military leader. He was known as the lord of La Palice. He became a very important person in France when he was given the title of Grand Master of France in 1511.
As a Marshal of France, a top military rank, he served under King Francis I of France. He fought many battles against the Habsburg armies, who were powerful rivals. Sadly, he died during the famous battle of Pavia.
Contents
A French Knight's Life
Early Years and First Battles
Jacques de La Palice was born in a place called Lapalisse in Auvergne, France. When he was just 15 years old, he started working for King Charles VIII of France. The king was the same age as Jacques!
His first big fight was the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (1488) in 1488. Four years later, he married Jeanne de Montbéron.
Fighting in Italy
In 1494, Jacques went with King Charles VIII to fight in Italy. They wanted to take over the Kingdom of Naples. Jacques helped capture the city of Naples in 1495. He also fought in the battle of Fornovo in 1498. This battle helped the French army get back home safely.
After King Charles died, Jacques joined the new King, Louis XII. He went with the king to take over Milan in 1499. Jacques won several areas in Italy, like Abruzzo and Apulia. He was even made a viceroy, which is like a governor, of Abruzzo in 1502. However, he was captured in the battle of Ruvo di Puglia in 1503. He was set free in 1504.
More Wars and High Ranks
In 1507, Jacques led the first group of French soldiers in the siege of Genoa. A siege is when an army surrounds a city to try and take it over. He was badly hurt during this time.
In 1509, a big war called the war of the League of Cambrai started against the Republic of Venice. Jacques helped in the siege of Treviglio and won a great victory at the battle of Agnadello. After this, he became the main commander of the French troops in Lombardy, Italy. He also helped Emperor Maximilian I fight the Venetians, but they couldn't capture Padua in 1509.
In 1511, Jacques de La Palice became the top French commander in Italy. He was also given the very important title of Grand Master of France.
Challenges and Return to France
Later, Jacques fought under another leader, Gaston de Foix. They successfully helped Bologna when it was being attacked. Jacques also fought in the battle of Ravenna (1512). Gaston de Foix died in this battle, and Jacques became the main commander again. But he was too slow, and the enemy armies were able to recover. This led to the French being pushed out of Lombardy.
When he returned to France, he was sent to the Pyrenees mountains to help a friend. But soon, he had to go to Thérouanne to fight the English troops. In 1513, he was defeated and captured at the Battle of the Spurs. This battle marked the end of King Louis XII's plans to expand France. Jacques was removed from his duties and went back to his lands. In 1514, he married Marie de Melun, and they had four children.
Serving King Francis I
When Francis I became king, he gave Jacques de La Palice back his title of Grand Master. On January 2, 1515, he also made him a Marshal of France. This was a very high honor!
Jacques helped invade Piedmont and capture Villafranca. He was also one of King Francis's main helpers at the important battle of Marignano. After the war ended with the Treaty of Noyon, Jacques returned to France.
Final Battles and Death
Jacques de La Palice was sent to Calais to talk about peace with Charles V. But they couldn't agree. So, Jacques went back to Italy as a military leader. He commanded the French army at the battle of Bicocca in 1522, but they were defeated.
He was sent to the Pyrenees again, and then helped save Marseille from a siege. After taking Avignon, he moved to Milan. On October 28, 1524, Jacques de La Palice and King Francis I began the siege of Pavia. The city was defended by Antonio de Leyva.
On February 24, 1525, the battle of Pavia began. Jacques de La Palice was captured by German soldiers during the fighting. Sadly, he was killed shortly after.
What is a Lapalissade?
Jacques de La Palice gave his name to a funny saying called a Lapalissade. This is a statement that is so obvious, it's almost silly.
It all started with his epitaph, which is a message on a tombstone. His epitaph said:
- "Ci-gît le Seigneur de La Palice: s'il n'était pas mort, il ferait encore envie."
- ("Here lies the Seigneur de La Palice: If he weren't dead, he would still be envied.")
Someone misread (or maybe joked about) the last part. They read "il ferait encore envie" (he would still be envied) as "il serait encore en vie" (he would still be alive). It was easy to mix up because of the way the letters were written back then.
This funny mistake was put into a popular song. Over time, many other silly, obvious statements were added to the song. In the early 1700s, a writer named Bernard de la Monnoye collected over 50 of these funny lines. He published them as a humorous "Song of La Palice."
From that song, the French term lapalissade was born. It means a truth that is completely obvious – something that everyone already knows!
See also
- Château de La Palice
- Italian Wars
