Charles V the Wise

(1338-1380) (Charles V le Sage)

   king of France

   Born in Vincennes, the son of King jean II and Bonne de Luxembourg, Charles v was king of France from 1364 to 1380. In 1350, he married jeanne of Bourbon and, during his father's captivity, he served as regent, suppressed the jacquerie uprising and the revolt of étienne marcel, and signed the Treaty of Brétigny with England (1356-64). Upon becoming king, he surrounded himself with capable military leaders (jean bouciCAUT, ROBERT FIENNES) and, thanks to BERTRAND DU guesclin, was able to end the struggle with charles II the bad, king of Navarre. charles v also rid the kingdom of the grandes compagnies and renewed the war against the English (1368), seizing most of their possessions in France. At the time of his death, the English then held only some maritime cities (notably bordeaux and Calais) and some strongholds. During his reign, Charles V ended the War of Succession in Brittany. He surrounded himself, too, with good chancellors and advisers, such as nicolas oresme (finances). A patron of the arts and letters, Charles V established the royal library, rebuilt the louvre, and built the Saint-Pol residence and the bastille in paris, and the château de Beauté. He instituted a new system of taxation, reestablishing a solid currency. During the Great Schism, he took the side of Pope Clement VII. The life of Charles V, who was the father of charles vi, is known especially through the writings of Christine de pisan.