Georges d'Amboise (1460 – May 25, 1510) was a French
Roman Catholic cardinal and minister of state. He belonged to the
house of Amboise, a noble family possessed of considerable influence: of his nine brothers, four were bishops. His father, Pierre d'Amboise, seigneur de Chaumont, was chamberlain to
Charles VII and
Louis XI
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...
and ambassador at
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. Georges' eldest brother,
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
, was governor of the
ÃŽle-de-France
The ÃŽle-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...
,
Champagne
Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
and
Burgundy
Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
, and councillor of Louis XI.
Biography
Early years
Georges d'Amboise was born at
Château de Chaumont, son of Pierre d'Amboise and Anne du Beueil. He was only fourteen when his father procured for him the
bishopric of Montauban, and Louis XI appointed him one of his
almoner
An almoner () is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing money to the deserving poor. The title ''almoner'' has to some extent fallen out of use in English, but its equivalents in other languages are often used f ...
s. On arriving at manhood d'Amboise attached himself to the party of
Louis, duc d'Orléans, in whose cause he suffered imprisonment at
Corbeil, and on whose return to the royal favor he was elevated to the
archbishopric of Narbonne, (June 18, 1482) in which the pope refused to confirm him; after some time he changed his see for that of
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
(1493). On the appointment of Orléans as governor of
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
, d'Amboise became his lieutenant-general.
In 1498 the duc d'Orléans mounted the throne as
Louis XII
Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), also known as Louis of Orléans was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples (as Louis III) from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Marie of Cleves, he succeeded his second ...
, and d'Amboise was suddenly raised to the high position of cardinal (September 17, 1498) and prime minister. In December 1498, he obtained the annulment of the marriage of King Louis to Jeanne de Valois (who was incapable of bearing children); King Louis then married
Anne de Bretagne, widow of his predecessor King Charles VIII, in January 1499.
Italian Wars
His foreign policy was animated by the aim of increasing French power in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
by the conquest of the Milanese territories, in which he can be seen as the continuator of the policies of
Étienne de Vesc. On 9 February 1499, he signed a treaty with Venice to which
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503.
Born into t ...
adhered. He accompanied Louis and entered with him into Milan 6 October 1499; he was charged with organizing that province under French control, then returned to France in November. After the revolt of March 1500 in favor of
Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; 'the Moor'), and called the "arbiter of Italy" by historian Francesco Guicciardini, , the cardinal was appointed lieutenant general; he retook the
duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan (; ) was a state in Northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti of Milan, Visconti family, which had been ruling the city since 1277. At that time, ...
and sent Sforza to France as a prisoner. He made a triumphal entrance into Lyon on 23 June and received from Louis XII the countship of Lomello. The Cardinal returned to Italy at the beginning of 1501 for the attempted conquest of Naples; he went to Trent as ambassador in October 1501.
His administration in France was, in many respects, well-intentioned and useful. Having the good fortune to serve a king who was both economical and just, he was able to diminish the imposts, to introduce order among the soldiery, and above all, by the ordinances of 1499, to improve the organization of justice. He was also zealous for the reform of the church, and particularly for the reform of the monasteries; and it is greatly to his credit that he did not avail himself of the extremely favorable opportunities he possessed of becoming a pluralist.
He regularly spent a large income in charity, and he labored strenuously to stay the progress of the
plague and
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...
which broke out in 1504.
Construction of the Butter Tower
The ''Butter Tower'' of
Rouen Cathedral
Rouen Cathedral () is a Catholic church architecture, church in Rouen, Normandy, France. It is the Episcopal see, see of the Archbishop of Rouen, Primate of Normandy. It is famous for its three towers, each in a different style. The cathedral, b ...
was erected in the early 16th century. d'Amboise had authorised the burning of
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...
instead of oil, which was scarce, in lamps during Lent, collecting monies of ''six deniers Tournois'' from each diocesan for this permission. A bell for the tower was cast in 1501 and named for George d'Amboise. It cracked in 1786 and was melted down for cannon during the
French Revolution.
Aspirations for the Papacy
On the death of
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI (, , ; born Roderic Llançol i de Borja; epithet: ''Valentinus'' ("The Valencian"); – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 August 1492 until his death in 1503.
Born into t ...
(1492–1503) he aspired to the papacy during the
papal conclave, September 1503. He had French troops at the gates of Rome, by means of which he could easily have frightened the conclave and induced them to elect him; but he was persuaded to trust to his influence; the troops were dismissed, and an Italian was appointed as
Pius III (1503); and again, on the death of Pius within the month, another Italian,
Julius II (1503–13), was chosen.
On 4 December 1503 Cardinal d'Amboise received as compensation the title of papal legate for life in France and of
Avignon
Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
.
League of Cambrai
He was one of the negotiators of the disastrous
Treaty of Blois (1504), and in 1508 of the
League of Cambrai
The League of Cambrai was a military coalition against the Republic of Venice formed on 10 December 1508, by the main European powers (Holy Roman Empire, France, Aragon and their allies), to maintain their hegemony over the Italian Peninsula. Th ...
against
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
. In 1509 he again accompanied Louis XII into Italy, but on his return he was seized at the city of
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
with a fatal attack of
gout
Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...
in the stomach. He died there on 25 May 1510. His body was removed to Rouen; and a magnificent tomb, on which he is represented kneeling in the attitude of prayer, was erected to his memory in the cathedral of that town. Throughout his life he was an enlightened patron of letters and art, and it was at his orders that the
Château de Gaillon near Rouen was built.
The town of
Amboise owes much of its importance to the renown of Georges d'Amboise, whose forebears, however, forfeited the
château
A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking re ...
whence they derived their name.
His nephews
Louis d'Amboise,
Georges II d'Amboise and
François Guillaume de Castelanu de Clermont-Ludéve were also made cardinals.
Popular culture
His capacity as an administrator was such that he is believed to be the original "Georges" of the now-obsolete catchphrase "Laissez faire à Georges" (English: "Let George do it"). The idiom apparently first appears in French in the mid-17th century, but its relationship to the 20th-century American saying "Let George do it" is most likely coincidental.
Notes and references
Sources
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Attribution:
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External links
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Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Georges d'Amboise
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amboise, Georges d
1460 births
1510 deaths
People from Loir-et-Cher
16th-century French cardinals
Cardinals created by Pope Alexander VI
Bishops of Montauban
Archbishops of Rouen
15th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in France
16th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in France
Burials at Rouen Cathedral
Georges d'Amboise