The king's in prison, the ransom's two million ecus, and everyone's scheming. French Renaissance chaos ensues.
In 1525, on the evening of the Battle of Pavia, François 1er was taken prisoner by the armies of Charles-Quint, with the Constable de Bourbon on their side. His mother, regent of the kingdom, commissioned the king's loyal equerry, Antoine de Montpezat, to raise a ransom of two million ecus and send it to Madrid. Despite the treachery of Vandoeuvre, governor of Languedoc and supporter of the connétable de Bourbon, who has his eye on the French throne, Montpezat accomplishes his mission and is reunited with his fiancée, who had almost married the traitor Vandoeuvre.
Costume
Renaissance finery that screams 1960s studio budget
Acting
Madeleine Robinson as the scheming regent mother
Director
Maurice Régamey
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Battle of Pavia was a real disaster for France—François I was actually captured and held in Madrid for over a year.
The Constable de Bourbon remains one of France's most infamous traitors; his name became synonymous with aristocratic betrayal for centuries.
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