Francis I was the ruler of France from 1515 to 1547, under whose reign the French Renaissance flourished. He was not directly in line to the throne, but the death of his father and the lack of male heirs from successive kings made him the presumptive heir. Francis and his sister were raised by their young mother, the indomitable Louise of Savoy.  It was through her influence that both brother and sister were exposed to the spirit of the Renaissance. Upon becoming king, Francis encouraged the arts, literature and language and is known as the ‘Father and Restorer of Letter’. Among his significant contributions were making French the national language and providing patronage to great artists, such as Leonardo Da Vinci. Francis revered both his mother and sister all his life and they held high positions in his court. A people’s king he travelled all over the kingdom on horseback meeting his subjects and assuaging their problems. The popular king was also known as ‘Francis of the Large Nose’ for his prominent nose. Throughout his reign, he was involved in the Italian Wars. He was even taken prisoner once and spent his days in prison composing songs and poetry. Francis’s reign saw international cooperation through an alliance with the Ottoman empire and trade relations with Morocco. He encouraged the explorer Jacques Cartier who discovered Canada to make a second voyage there. History remembers him as a humanist and an important figure of the French Renaissance.