Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/690

 634 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE the flourishing of art and letters had been founded. Three successive French kings, Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I, tried to win Italian possessions, and came thereby into relations with three successive popes, Alexander VI, Julius II, and Leo X. Despite their efforts the chief outcome of the period of invasions was the introduction of the House of Hapsburg into Italy. In 1492 the death of Lorenzo de' Medici left Florence under the rule of his incompetent son, Piero, and deprived Th it H n I ta ty °f an ^le diplomat who had preserved expedition of peace and the balance of power between the ares rival states into which that peninsula was di- vided. Charles VIII of France in 1491 had attained his twenty-first year and had married Anne of Brittany despite the efforts of Maximilian, Henry VII of England, and Fer- dinand. He now determined to conquer the Kingdom of Naples, taking advantage of the claim which Rene of Prov- ence and Anjou had bequeathed to Charles's father, Louis XI, against the actual ruler, Ferrante of the Aragonese line. Charles was urged to invade Italy by Lodovico Sforza, who was usurping the throne of Milan at the expense of his nephew and against whom Florence and Naples were con- spiring. Before setting out Charles found it necessary to protect his rear by concessions to Henry VII, Maximilian, and Ferdinand. He bought Henry off with money; Maxi- milian with Artois, Charolais, and the County of Burgundy, as already recounted; and ceded to Ferdinand Cerdagne and Roussillon in the Pyrenees. In 1494 he crossed the Alps. Lodovico gave Charles free passage through his territory. Venice held aloof. In Florence the effect of Charles's ap- Savonarola P roacn was the overthrow of Piero de' Medici and the ascendancy of the Dominican friar, Savonarola, who set up an aristocratic constitution mod- eled after Venice and its Grand Council. Savonarola was a popular preacher who had been conducting a religious re- vival in Florence, denouncing the sins of the time and the abuses in the Church, especially at the papal court. Mach-