Charles VIII

Charles VIII was the only son of Louis XI, the "Spider King", and Charlotte of Savoy, and was born in the Castle of Ambois. When Charles VIII was young, his sister Anne of France and her husband Pierre II, Duke of Bourbon, were his regents.

In 1493, Charles VIII signed the Treaty of Barcelona with King Ferdinand II of Aragon, ceding Roussillon and Zeldane to Spain.

Charles VIII showed unprecedented ambition. His attempt to take control of Italy ended up embroiling France in a half-century-long Italian war. But his military adventures failed after initial victories. In 1494, Charles VIII entered Italy as heir to the throne, captured Naples in 1495 and was crowned king of the Kingdom of Naples. His actions were opposed by Pope Alexander VI, Venice, Milan, and the Holy Roman Emperors Maximilian I and Ferdinand of Aragon. At the Battle of Fornovo, the French were defeated, and Charles VIII was forced to withdraw from Italy at the end of 1495. He later made plans to conquer Italy, but failed to make it due to his untimely death.

In his "The Prince" and "A History of Florence", Machiavelli regarded Charles VIII as a disaster that brought a series of invasions to Italy.