Person

Louis XI

1423–1483 · 15th century · Also known as Louis XI of France

Louis XI was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He fought the great nobles of the League of the Public Weal and above all Charles the Bold of Burgundy, whose death at Nancy in 1477 allowed him to seize the Duchy of Burgundy, Picardy and Boulogne. He also crushed the counts of Armagnac and acquired Anjou and Provence, greatly enlarging the royal domain. His cunning earned him the name 'the universal spider'.

Louis XI
Image: Jacob de Litemont · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Duchy of BurgundyDecline, SummaryDuchy of BrittanyDecline

Mentioned in 6 state histories

County of AnjouCounty of BoulogneDuchy of BurgundyCounty of ProvenceCounty of ArmagnacBurgundian State

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Louis XI. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/louis-xi
MLA
“Louis XI.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/louis-xi. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Louis XI.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/louis-xi.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Louis XI’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/louis-xi (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻