Category Archives: The Valois Dynasty

The French renaissance was a lot like today, but without the comforts. It was a time of extreme violence, economic disparity, bigotry, religious wars, pandemics, fanaticism and, surprisingly, a flowering in the arts. The parallels to the world today are dismaying and surprising.
The Valois family dynasty ruled France during this turmoil. Ambitious, greedy, ruthless, sensuous, sickly and arrogant, the Valois personified their times. Their dynasty weakened over time with each successive generation, becoming more and more divisive, decadent and distant from their subjects. The last Valois, Henry III, was a cross dressing( to me a plus!), murderous fanatic who was stabbed to death by a mad monk.