Jacques de la Palice
Encyclopedia
Jacques de la Palice (1470 – 24 February 1525) was a French
nobleman and military officer. His full name and titles are Jacques II de Chabannes, Lord of La Palice
, of Pacy, of Chauverothe, of Bort-le-Comte and of Héron
. In 1511, he received the title of Grand Master of France
.
As a Marshal
under Francis I
, he fought against Italian
armies, and died during the battle of Pavia
.
, Auvergne
.
At 15 de la Palice entered the service of King Charles VIII of France
, of his same age. His first battle was that of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier
(1488). Four years later he married Jeanne de Montbéron, daughter of chamberlain Eustache de Montbéron. In 1494 he followed the king in war for the Kingdom of Naples, taking part in the latter city's capture in 1495, as well as in the battle of Fornovo
(1498) against the Italian League, which allowed the French army to retreat in their homeland.
After Charles' death, la Palice accompanied the new King, Louis XII, in the campaign for Milan, which the French captured in 1499. He conquered several lands in the Abruzzi
and in Apulia
, being created vice-roy of Abruzzo in 1502. However, he was defeated in the battle of Ruvo di Puglia (1503) and made prisoner by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
. He was freed in 1504, the same year his wife died.
In 1507 he commanded the French vanguard in the siege of Genoa
, during which he was seriously wounded. In 1509 the war of the League of Cambrai
against the Republic of Venice
broke out. La Palice took part in the siege of Treviglio
and in the victorious Battle of Agnadello
; he was then made commander-in-chief of the French troops in Lombardy
and, sent to help Emperor Maximilian I
, he took part against the Venetians in the unsuccessful siege of Padua
in 1509. In 1511, after Charles d'Amboise's death, de la Palice became the French overall commander in Italy and was made Grand Master of France
.
After Gaston de Foix's arrival to Italy, La Palice was put under him, successfully relieving Bologna
from the Spanish's siege. He took part in the battle of Ravenna (1512)
, in which de Foix died, being succeeded by La Palice himself as French commander-in-chief. However his slow actions allowed the defeated enemies to recover and expel the French from Lombardy
.
Returning to France, he was sent to the Pyrenees
to rescue John III of Navarre
, but soon he was diverted to Thérouanne
, then the last French possession in the Artois
, to counter the English troops. On 6 August 1513, he was defeated and made prisoner at the battle of Guinegate
. After John's III parallel defeat, this marked the end of Louis XII's expansionism. La Palice was fired, and retired to his lands, where, in 1514, he married to Marie de Melun, who gave him four children.
Louis's successor, Francis I
, gave him back the title of Grand Master, adding that of Marshal of France
on 2 January 1515. La Palice, under the command of Marshal Aubigny
, took part to the invasion of Piedmont
, the capture of Villafranca
against Prospero Colonna
and was one of Francis' lieutenants at the Battle of Marignano
. After the signature of the Treaty of Noyon which ended the war, La Palice returned to France.
La Palice was sent at Calais
as negotiator of the peace with Charles V
. As the participants did not reach an agreement, he returned to Italy as military leader under Marshal Lautrec, commanding the French main line at the battle of Bicocca
(1522), in which he was defeated by Colonna. La Palice was sent again to the Pyrenees, and then to the successful attempt to rescue Marseille
from Duke of Bourbon
's siege. After the conquest of Avignon
, he moved to Milan which had been abandoned by the Spaniards. On 28 October 1524, at the side of his King, La Palice begun the siege of Pavia
, defended by Antonio de Leyva
. When the Imperial-Spanish army arrived, the battle of Pavia
began (25 February 1525). La Palice was captured by German Landsknechts during the fights, and was executed some time later.
reads
These words were misread (accidentally or intentionally) as "...il serait encore en vie" ("...he would still be alive"). In the 16th century this misreading was incorporated into a popular satirical song, and in time many other variants developed, like
In the early 18th century Bernard de la Monnoye
collected over 50 of these humorous "la Palice" quatrains, and published them as a burlesque Song of la Palice
. From that song came the French
term lapalissade meaning an utterly obvious truth—i.e. a truism
or tautology
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
nobleman and military officer. His full name and titles are Jacques II de Chabannes, Lord of La Palice
Lapalisse
Lapalisse is a commune in the Allier department in central France.-Population:-References:*...
, of Pacy, of Chauverothe, of Bort-le-Comte and of Héron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
. In 1511, he received the title of Grand Master of France
Grand Master of France
The Grand Master of France was, during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration in France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and head of the "Maison du Roi", the king's royal household...
.
As a Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
under Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, he fought against Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
armies, and died during the battle of Pavia
Battle of Pavia
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...
.
Biography
He was born at LapalisseLapalisse
Lapalisse is a commune in the Allier department in central France.-Population:-References:*...
, Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
.
At 15 de la Palice entered the service of King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, of his same age. His first battle was that of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier
Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (1488)
The Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier took place on July 28, 1488, between the forces of king Charles VIII of France, and those of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and his allies. The defeat of the latter signalled the end to the "guerre folle" , a feudal conflict in which French aristocrats revolted...
(1488). Four years later he married Jeanne de Montbéron, daughter of chamberlain Eustache de Montbéron. In 1494 he followed the king in war for the Kingdom of Naples, taking part in the latter city's capture in 1495, as well as in the battle of Fornovo
Battle of Fornovo
The Battle of Fornovo took place 30 km southwest of the city of Parma on 6 July 1495. The League of Venice was able to temporarily expel the French from the Italian Peninsula. It was the first major battle of the Italian Wars.-Antecedents:...
(1498) against the Italian League, which allowed the French army to retreat in their homeland.
After Charles' death, la Palice accompanied the new King, Louis XII, in the campaign for Milan, which the French captured in 1499. He conquered several lands in the Abruzzi
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
and in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, being created vice-roy of Abruzzo in 1502. However, he was defeated in the battle of Ruvo di Puglia (1503) and made prisoner by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba known as The Great Captain, Duke of Terranova and Santangelo, Andria, Montalto and Sessa, also known as Gonzalo de Córdoba, Italian: Gonsalvo or Consalvo Ernandes di Cordova was a Spanish general fighting in the times of the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars...
. He was freed in 1504, the same year his wife died.
In 1507 he commanded the French vanguard in the siege of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, during which he was seriously wounded. In 1509 the war of the League of Cambrai
War of the League of Cambrai
The War of the League of Cambrai, sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names, was a major conflict in the Italian Wars...
against the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
broke out. La Palice took part in the siege of Treviglio
Treviglio
Treviglio is a town and comune in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, northern Italy. It lies 20 km south of the capital city, in the lower territory called "Bassa" marked by the Adda and the Serio rivers....
and in the victorious Battle of Agnadello
Battle of Agnadello
The Battle of Agnadello, also known as Vailà, was one of the more significant battles of the War of the League of Cambrai and one of the major battles of the Italian Wars....
; he was then made commander-in-chief of the French troops in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
and, sent to help Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
, he took part against the Venetians in the unsuccessful siege of Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
in 1509. In 1511, after Charles d'Amboise's death, de la Palice became the French overall commander in Italy and was made Grand Master of France
Grand Master of France
The Grand Master of France was, during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration in France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and head of the "Maison du Roi", the king's royal household...
.
After Gaston de Foix's arrival to Italy, La Palice was put under him, successfully relieving Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
from the Spanish's siege. He took part in the battle of Ravenna (1512)
Battle of Ravenna (1512)
The Battle of Ravenna, fought on 11 April 1512, by forces of the Holy League and France, was a major battle of the War of the League of Cambrai in the Italian Wars...
, in which de Foix died, being succeeded by La Palice himself as French commander-in-chief. However his slow actions allowed the defeated enemies to recover and expel the French from Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
.
Returning to France, he was sent to the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
to rescue John III of Navarre
John III of Navarre
John III , also known as Jean d'Albret, was jure uxoris, King consort of the Queen regnant Catherine of Navarre.He was a son of Alain I of Albret, Lord of Albret, and his wife, Frances of Châtillon-Limoges.-King of Navarre:...
, but soon he was diverted to Thérouanne
Thérouanne
Thérouanne is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Thérouanne is located 10 miles southwest of Saint-Omer, on the D157 and D341 road junction.-Population:-History:...
, then the last French possession in the Artois
Artois
Artois is a former province of northern France. Its territory has an area of around 4000 km² and a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras , Saint-Omer, Lens and Béthune.-Location:...
, to counter the English troops. On 6 August 1513, he was defeated and made prisoner at the battle of Guinegate
Battle of Guinegate (1513)
The Battle of Guinegate or Battle of the Spurs took place on August 16, 1513. As part of the Holy League under the on-going Italian Wars, English and Imperial troops under Henry VIII and Maximilian I surprised and routed a body of French cavalry under Jacques de La Palice.The English army was...
. After John's III parallel defeat, this marked the end of Louis XII's expansionism. La Palice was fired, and retired to his lands, where, in 1514, he married to Marie de Melun, who gave him four children.
Louis's successor, Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, gave him back the title of Grand Master, adding that of Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
on 2 January 1515. La Palice, under the command of Marshal Aubigny
Robert Stewart, Lord of Aubigny
Robert Stewart , Lord of Aubigny, Count of Beaumont-le-Roger, was a French soldier belonging to the family of Stewart of Darnley.Robert was the fourth son of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox and Margaret Montgomerie...
, took part to the invasion of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, the capture of Villafranca
Villafranca Piemonte
Villafranca Piemonte is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 35 km southwest of Turin....
against Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna , sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire during the Italian Wars.-Biography:...
and was one of Francis' lieutenants at the Battle of Marignano
Battle of Marignano
The Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...
. After the signature of the Treaty of Noyon which ended the war, La Palice returned to France.
La Palice was sent at Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
as negotiator of the peace with Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. As the participants did not reach an agreement, he returned to Italy as military leader under Marshal Lautrec, commanding the French main line at the battle of Bicocca
Battle of Bicocca
The Battle of Bicocca or La Bicocca was fought on April 27, 1522, during the Italian War of 1521–26. A combined French and Venetian force under Odet de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec, was decisively defeated by a Spanish-Imperial and Papal army under the overall command of Prospero Colonna...
(1522), in which he was defeated by Colonna. La Palice was sent again to the Pyrenees, and then to the successful attempt to rescue Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
from Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
's siege. After the conquest of Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, he moved to Milan which had been abandoned by the Spaniards. On 28 October 1524, at the side of his King, La Palice begun the siege of Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, defended by Antonio de Leyva
Antonio de Leyva
Antonio de Leyva, Duke of Terranova, Prince of Ascoli was a Spanish general during the Italian Wars. During the Italian War of 1521, he commanded Pavia during the siege of the city by Francis I of France, and took part in the Battle of Pavia in 1525...
. When the Imperial-Spanish army arrived, the battle of Pavia
Battle of Pavia
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...
began (25 February 1525). La Palice was captured by German Landsknechts during the fights, and was executed some time later.
Lapalissade
His epitaphEpitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
reads
- Ci gît Monsieur de La Palice: Si il' n'était pas mort, il ferait encore envie.
These words were misread (accidentally or intentionally) as "...il serait encore en vie" ("...he would still be alive"). In the 16th century this misreading was incorporated into a popular satirical song, and in time many other variants developed, like
- ... que deux jours avant sa mort / il était encore en vie.
- ... et quand il était tout nu, / il n'avait point de chemise..
In the early 18th century Bernard de la Monnoye
Bernard de la Monnoye
Bernard de La Monnoye was a French lawyer, poet, philologue and critic, known chiefly by his carols Christmas in Bourgogne.-Biography:...
collected over 50 of these humorous "la Palice" quatrains, and published them as a burlesque Song of la Palice
The Song of la Palice
The Song of la Palice is a burlesque song attributed to Bernard de la Monnoye about alleged feats of French nobleman and military leader Jacques de la Palice . From that song came the French term lapalissade meaning an utterly obvious truth—i.e...
. From that song came the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
term lapalissade meaning an utterly obvious truth—i.e. a truism
Truism
A truism is a claim that is so obvious or self-evident as to be hardly worth mentioning, except as a reminder or as a rhetorical or literary device and is the opposite of falsism....
or tautology
Tautology (logic)
In logic, a tautology is a formula which is true in every possible interpretation. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein first applied the term to redundancies of propositional logic in 1921; it had been used earlier to refer to rhetorical tautologies, and continues to be used in that alternate sense...
.
See also
- Italian WarsItalian WarsThe Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...