Octavian, Baron de Valois (1448-August 1503) was a French nobleman and general during the Italian Wars. Valois was the cousin of King Louis XII of France, and King Louis lent the Baron de Valois' army to Cesare Borgia in 1500 with the goal of crushing Bartolomeo d'Alviano's Venetian mercenary forces. De Valois' army was encamped at the Castra Praetoria in Rome from 1500 to 1503, and it fought alongside Borgia's Papal forces for years. In 1503, Valois was killed during a surprise attack on his camp.
Biography[]
The unexpected crowning of his distant cousin Louis XII in 1498 propelled Octavian, the Baron de Valois, to the front of the ranks in Louis's new Italian campaign. According to the King's secretary, the Baron had "only formal training, no actual field experience". He then quipped: "the things one does for one's family".
Valois encountered Cesare and Juan Borgia when they arrived in France to court Cesare's future wife Charlotte. They spent a month together at court, at which point the Baron left for Italy. Several letters were exchanged between the two in cipher text, only recently cracked, discussing something repeatedly referred to as "our plans for Italy", the King of France was mentioned as an accomplice to these plans.
The Baron de Valois marched into Rome with his men in 1500. For what purpose, it remains unclear. At that point, however, Bartolomeo d'Alviano and his men attacked.
Death[]
Valois' death
Octavian de Valois captured Bartolomeo's wife Pantasilea Baglioni in an attack on his barracks outside of Rome, and he held her hostage at his camp. D'Alviano and his accomplice Ezio Auditore da Firenze (who was on a mission to liberate Rome from the Borgia and their allies) held off the attack and stole the French uniforms, preparing to attack his camp.
The mercenaries snuck into the French camp in their uniforms, and when they got close enough to the base, the mercenaries sprung their ambush and assaulted the French. Auditore snuck over the rooftops, where he saw the Baron de Valois holding Pantasilea at gunpoint to prevent the mercenaries from advancing further. Auditore crept up behind Valois and stabbed him in the back, mortally wounding him. Before Octavian died, Ezio told him that respect was earned and not inherited, referencing Valois' promotion because he was a noble.