1. François Villon
Woodcut of Villon from the first edition of Le Testament, 1489 (source)

2. Who was he? Perhaps the best-known poet of the later Middle Ages
Born in Paris, 1431, “of humble origins.” Was likely named François de Montcorbier or François de Loges, but took the name of his foster father, Guillaume de Villon, who raised him
Much of what is known of Villon comes from his own poetry and from court records
Earned a master’s degree, U of Paris, 1452
Spent considerable time in bars and brothels
Killed a man in a drunken brawl; was banished from Paris, 1455
Banished again for stealing gold coins from U of Paris
More prison: robbery, brawling; condemned to death
Sentence commuted to banishment from Paris for another 10 years, 1463
And after that he disappears from historical record

3. His works
Collection of his poetry published for the first time in 1489
Three most famous works:
Le Lais (The Legacy); AKA Le Petit Testament: written in , he bequeaths his scant belongings (hair clippings, etc.) to friends and relatives
Le Testament (1461); AKA Le Grand Testament; a longer poem with a similar topic, but the work of a more mature poet. Several ballades are inserted among the stanzas. In this work, Villon reflects on a life lived in taverns and brothels and makes bequests to friends and enemies.
La Ballade des pendus (The Ballad of Hanged Men, 1462); written while he awaited execution

4. His legacy
Villon has had a far-reaching influence on artists, including
Literature: Rabelais, Hugo, Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Robert Louis Stevenson
Opera: Brecht
Film: several films about his life,
Television: 2011 biographical film Je, François Villon, voleur, assassin, poète
Music: Debussy, Ezra Pound*, Bob Dylan, Regina Spektor
*About which Jennifer will tell you more!

5. Resources
cavendish/fran%C3%A7ois-villon-banished-paris
ancois_villon.pdf