Person

Francis I, Duke of Nevers

1516–1561 · 16th century · Also known as François de Clèves, François I de Clèves

Francis I, Duke of Nevers, born François de Clèves, was a French nobleman and soldier of the house of Cleves, which had held the county of Nevers since 1491. In 1539 Francis I of France raised Nevers to a duchy-peerage for him, making him its first duke. He served Francis I and Henry II in their wars against the Habsburgs, and through his daughter Henriette the duchy later passed to the Gonzaga family.

Francis I, Duke of Nevers
Image: Workshop of François Clouet · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 7 profiles

French EmpireFoundationOttoman EmpireImpactNew FranceFoundationCounty of HohenzollernMilitaryDuchy of MilanMilitaryDuchy of SavoyMilitaryHabsburg SpainMilitary

Mentioned in 1 state history

County of Nevers

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Francis I, Duke of Nevers. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-duke-of-nevers
MLA
“Francis I, Duke of Nevers.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-duke-of-nevers. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Francis I, Duke of Nevers.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-duke-of-nevers.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Francis I, Duke of Nevers’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-i-duke-of-nevers (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻