Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
Pierre du Terrail, Chevalier de Bayard (* about 1476 at Castle Bayard, near Grenoble, † April 30, 1524 in Romagnano Sesia ), called " the knight without fear and without reproach ," Chevalier sans peur et sans French reproche, was a French military commander.
Pierre du Terrail appeared as Page in the services of Count Philippe de Bauge, later to become the Duke of Savoy, and then in the King Charles VIII of France. After a happy duel with the Burgundian knight Claude de Vaudrai employed by a company gendarmes, he followed in 1495 the king on his expedition against Naples, fought in the Battle of Fornuovo and was beaten for his bravery knighted.
Under Louis XII. he penetrated with the defeated enemies at the same time in Milan, was caught but immediately dismissed by Ludovico Sforza again, took part in the Battle of Novara in 1503 and fought in Naples against the Spaniards. Bayard distinguished himself in the defense of the bridge over the Garigliano against 200 riders. Same fame brought him to defend the city Venoza.
1507 Bayard fought against the Genoese in 1509 and in the Battle of Agnadello. As to this, Louis XII. clashed with Pope Julius II in dispute, Bayard of the Countess of Mirandola and the Duke of Ferrara was sent to help. His plan to capture on a voyage from San Felice after the besieged Mirandola the Pope failed; the request of a papal spy to poison Julius II, he refused.
At the storming of the camp of Brescia ( 1512) Bayard was severely wounded. 1513 in the unfortunate battle of Guinegate in Picardy, he was captured by the British, but was released by Emperor Maximilian and King Henry VIII without ransom.
1514 appointed lieutenant-general of the Dauphiné, 1515, he accompanied Francis I of France to Italy. He was preparing to march over the Alps to Savigliano ago, took the papal commander Prospero Colonna caught in Villafranca and fought so successful that the king of him as the most worthy in the whole army, the accolade sought and received at the Battle of Marignano. 1521 Bayard defended Mézières opposite the army of Charles V.; for he received from Francis I a company of 100 gendarmes, an award that otherwise was bestowed only prince of the royal house.
As of 1524 sent from Francis I to reconquer the Duchy of Milan in Italy Bonnivet had to withdraw, Bayard defended the passage of the Sesia at Gatinara. He received a shot from a arquebus in the page that shattered his spine. He died shortly thereafter. As an apostate from France Constable of Bourbon came to him and mourned for him, Bayard said, " Do not need your pity me, but you probably leading to your king and country the weapons."
Pierre du Terrail died at the age of about 48 years on 30 April 1524. A year later wrote his former personal physician and secretary, Symphorien Champier, called Le Loyal Serviteur whose biography that is widely distributed.