 | Redoedo (39)
04/04/2004 |  By the time Francis I ascended to the throne, the Renaissance had clearly come to France. This was largely a result of increased French contact with Italy, which is where the fundamental ideas of the Renaissance originated. Francis embraced the ideas of the Renaissance and soon become an major patron of the arts. By the time of Francis I's death, France was undergoing enormous cultural change. There was a newfound interests in arts and culture, and this largely led to a social revival in France that would last well beyond Francis I's reign. Francis I was also a key supporter of exploration of the New World. Explorers Verrazano and Cartier would claim much of present-day Quebec and Newfoundland for France. However, despite social revival and increased exploration of new lands, Francis' extravagant style deeply crippled the French economy, whcih was quite prosperous when Francis became king. Under Francis, France went deeper into debt and was in a period of economic despair despite social revivals brought on by the Renaissance. Francis raised taxes heavily on the commoners to fund his pet projects, which largely wiped out the middle class and brought millions into poverty. Overall, Francis I was far too extravagant and despite his numerous contributions to the development of the arts and the exploration of new lands, he left his own land in a terrible economic state.
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