Giovanni da Verrazzano was an Italian (Florentine) explorer of North America, in the service of King Francis I of France.
Giovanni da Verrazzano
Verrazzano's voyage in 1524
La Dauphine (model) sailed by Verrazzano in 1524
South face of Verrazzano's monument in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who died without a legitimate son.
Francis I, c. 1527–1530
Francis I painted in 1515
Francis I receiving the last breath of Leonardo da Vinci in 1519, by Ingres, painted in 1818
Francis's Château de Chambord displays a distinct French Renaissance architecture.