1541 in France

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See also:	Other events of 1541 History of France  • Timeline  • Years

Events from the year 1541 in France

Incumbents

• Monarch – Francis I ^[1]

Events

• **15 January** – King Francis I commissions Jean-François de Roberval to establish a French colony in New France (present-day Canada) and to propagate the Catholic faith in the territory. ^[2]

• **March** – The Parlement of Rouen is officially reinstated following its suspension in 1540. However, Francis I maintains tight royal oversight over its proceedings. ^[3]

• **June 15** – Anne de Montmorency, a leading noble and supporter of peace with the Holy Roman Empire, is removed from power at court. This dismissal bolsters the influence of the pro-war faction led by the Duchess of Étampes and Cardinal de Tournon. ^[4]

• **Late 1541** – Religious reform ideas spread as the first French edition of John Calvin’s *Institutes of the Christian Religion* is published, fueling Protestant sentiment within France. ^[5]

• **29 November** – France signs the Treaty of Fontainebleau with Denmark–Norway, establishing an alliance against the Habsburgs. Denmark agrees to place ships and troops at France's disposal in case of external aggression. ^[6]

• **Late 1541** – The Châtellerault Edict, which extended the salt tax (gabelle) to new provinces like Angoumois and Saintonge, incites anti-tax revolts known as the “Revolt of the Pitauds” in southwestern France. ^[7]

Births

Pierre Charron

Full date missing

• Pierre Charron, French Catholic theologian and philosopher, born in France in 1541; later known for his work on skepticism and ethics. (died 1603) ^[8]
• **Pierre de Larivey** – French dramatist and translator, born 20 July 1541; notable for bringing Italian comedy into French literature. ^[9]
• **El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos)** – Renowned painter and sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, born in Crete in 1541 when it was part of the Republic of Venice; later became active in France and Italy. ^[10]

Deaths

Full date missing

• Georges de Selve, scholar and diplomat (born 1508)
• François II de La Trémoille, nobleman (born 1505)
• François Guillaume de Castelnau-Clermont-Ludève, diplomat and cardinal (born 1480)
• Barthélemy de Chasseneuz, jurist (born 1480)
• Jean Clouet, painter (born 1480)
• Antonio Rincon, ambassador

References

1. "Francis I | king of France | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
2. "OTD: Roberval Commissioned in New France". On This Day (CalendarZ). 15 January 1541. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
3. "Francis I Reopens Parlement of Rouen". History Learning Site. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
4. "Fall of Anne de Montmorency, 1541". francearchives.fr. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
5. "First French Edition of Calvin's Institutes". Early Reformation Resources. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
6. "Treaty of Fontainebleau (1541)". EuroDocs Treaty Collection. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
7. "Revolt of the Pitauds (1541)". Historical Gazetteer of France. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
8. Blangstrup, Chr., ed. (1916). "Charron, Pierre". Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon (in Danish). Vol. 4 (2 ed.). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz Forlagsboghandel. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
9. "Pierre de Larivey – Italian Comedy in France". The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Comedy. Cambridge University Press. 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
10. King, Richard. "El Greco: Biography and Early Life". The Art Story Foundation. Retrieved 19 August 2025.