John IV of Chalon-Arlay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John IV
lord of Arlay, prince of Orange |
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Coat of arms of Chalon (red shild with yellow ribbon) and Orange (blue bugle); over all the (claimed) pattern of Geneva.
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| Born | c. 1443 |
| Died | 15 April 1502 |
| Buried | Convent of Cordeliers Lons-le-Saunier, County of Burgundy |
| Noble family | House of Chalon-Arlay |
| Spouse(s) | Jeanne de Bourbon Philiberte de Luxembourg |
| Issue | Philibert of Chalon Claudia of Chalon |
| Father | William VII lord of Arlay, prince of Orange |
| Mother | Catherine of Brittany |
John IV of Chalon-Arlay (born around 1443, died April 15, 1502) was an important noble. He was a prince of Orange and the lord of Arlay. John played a big part in the Mad War. This was a series of fights where powerful nobles tried to stop the French king from gaining too much control.
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Family Connections
John IV was the son of William VII of Chalon-Arlay. He was also the father of Philibert of Chalon and Claudia of Châlon. His uncle was Francis II, Duke of Brittany. This made him a first cousin to Anne, Duchess of Brittany. Anne later married two French kings and became their queen.
Supporting Burgundy's Duke
John IV made King Louis XI of France angry. This happened because John supported Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy. After Charles was defeated and died, King Louis took away much of John's land.
John then tried to arrange a marriage. He wanted Charles's widow to marry Maximilian of Austria. This made King Louis even angrier. As a result, John was forced to leave France.
Helping Brittany's Duchy
John IV was the nephew of Duke Francis II of Brittany. He became very involved in Brittany's affairs. Maximilian of Austria encouraged him to do so.
Against Pierre Landais
John IV did not like Pierre Landais, the duke's main advisor. John tried to remove Landais from power, but his plan failed. Because of this, Duke Francis took away John's lands in Brittany.
King Louis XI of France had died by this time. John then made an alliance with the new French regent, Anne of Beaujeu. A regent is someone who rules for a king or queen who is too young. With Anne's help, John was able to force Duke Francis to fire Landais. Landais was later found guilty of many crimes in an unfair trial and faced severe consequences. After this, John became one of the main decision-makers in Brittany.
Anne of Brittany's Marriage
John advised Duke Francis to marry his daughter, Anne, to Maximilian of Austria. This was meant to balance the power of France. However, the French army invaded Brittany. This marriage plan went against earlier agreements. These agreements said the French king had to approve Anne's marriage.
John was one of the leaders of the Breton army. They tried to stop the French invasion. But they were defeated at the important Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (1488). John tried to pretend he was dead, but he was recognized and captured. He was kept under house arrest for a while.
King Charles VIII later released John. He wanted John to go back to Brittany. The king hoped John would stop Anne from marrying Alain d'Albret.
Claim to Brittany
After Duke Francis died, John became the next in line to rule after the new duchess, Anne. He was part of Anne's high council. He was also made commander of Rennes and a top general.
John tried again to arrange Anne's marriage to Maximilian. But the French king stepped in once more. John then helped negotiate Anne's marriage to King Charles VIII. He was one of the witnesses to this important event.
John gave up his own claim to rule Brittany. In return, he received a large sum of money, 100,000 livres. He was also made a top general of Brittany again. He held this position until he died.
Marriages and Children
John's first wife was Jeanne de Bourbon. His second wife was Philiberta de Luxembourg. She was the daughter of Anthony I, Count of Ligny.
John had three children:
- Philibert of Chalon
- an unnamed son
- Claudia of Chalon
Succession and Burial
John IV of Chalon-Arlay died on April 15, 1502, when he was about 59 years old. His son, Philibert of Châlon, took over his titles.
John's wife, Philiberte de Luxembourg, ordered a special tomb for him. It was made of alabaster by sculptors Conrad Meyts and Giovanni Battista Mariotto. This tomb is in the convent of Cordeliers in Lons-le-Saunier, Burgundy. It holds John, his first wife Jeanne de Bourbon, his daughter Claudia, his son Philibert of Châlon, and Philiberte herself.
