Five hundred years ago, King Francis I of France left Madrid after nearly a year as Carlos I's hostage. He was captured at the Battle of Pavia and housed in luxury in the city. He received royal attention and freedom of movement.
On March 18, 1526, Francis I of France left Madrid after nearly a year in captivity. Captured at the Battle of Pavia in February 1525, he arrived in Madrid in August that year, when the city was one of Spain's main urban centers, though not yet the official capital. Before the Alcázar, he is believed to have stayed at the Torre de los Lujanes, in today's Plaza de la Villa, Madrid's oldest civil building, and the Casa Palacio de los Vargas, which inspired his later Bois de Boulogne residence called Castillo de Madrid. The latter became Felipe II's country house, now known as Casa de Campo with its gardens. At the Alcázar, Francis I had luxury apartments, personal attention from Carlos I, and freedom to roam Madrid accompanied by Spanish guards, visiting fields, woods, and hunting. Historians regard him as one of Spain's best-treated prisoners in history, more guest than captive, though letters suggest possible depression. The Treaty of Madrid, signed in January 1526, ended his captivity: he renounced the Duchy of Milan, Naples, Flanders, Artois, and Burgundy, and married Leonor de Austria, Carlos I's sister. Upon returning to Paris, however, he declared it null due to coercion. His capture followed Spanish troops, aided by German reinforcements and deserting Swiss infantry, surrounding the French. A Guipuzkoan soldier, Juan de Urbieta, seized him without initially knowing his identity, guided by his attire.
