Prince of one of the oldest families in Poitou. Around the age of 14, he was sent as a page to the court of Louis XI. Well placed at the court of France, he appears as one of the familiars of the regent of Anne de Beaujeu. He participated in the States-General of Tours and entered the royal council. During the troubles of the Mad War, he won the victory of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier. In 1494-1495, Charles VIII embarked on the expedition to Naples, which inaugurated the cycle of Italian wars. La Trémoille accompanied him and won many successes:Battle of Fornoue in 1495, conquest of Milan, 1500; Agnadel won in 1509, but was badly beaten by the Swiss at Novara in 1513, where his army of 10,000 men was ambushed. He still distinguished himself at Marignan (1515) and perished in the battle of Pavia, killed by an arquebus shot at the age of 64.
Intro Louis XI, son of Charles VII, is a great king who is often poorly known. It aroused contradictory opinions, rather unfavorable towards the man, but laudatory as to the work accomplished. If we said he was cruel, it turns out that Louis XI was no worse than most of the kings of that sad time.