Born in Paris in 1431, in the midst of the Hundred Years’ War, under the name François de Montcorbier, the young boy came from a modest family. He was adopted by a priest from the Church of Saint-Benoit (now gone, in the current 5th arrondissement), Master Guillaume Villon, with whom he was probably related. He entered the University of Paris under his new guardian’s name, earned a bachelor’s degree in 1449, and became a master in 1452. Until then, his life had been studious. At least outwardly…
The Latin Quarter, the intellectual center of medieval Europe, was known for its unparalleled vibrancy outside study hours. The student quarters had already, in the 15th century, gained a reputation for the debauchery of its inhabitants! François Villon stopped his studies only a year after starting, preferring the bohemian and wandering life. He played, drank, frequented Parisian taverns and cabarets, and, always short on money, resorted to any means to fund his pleasures. On June 5, 1455, he killed a priest during a quarrel in the street, likely over a woman, and fled Paris for 7 months. He was pardoned thanks to the (good) connections of his relative Guillaume. Upon returning to the capital, he wrote Le Lais. From then on, the poet and the criminal were inseparable. Shortly thereafter, he participated in the burglary of a college in the Latin Quarter. Once the stolen goods were quickly spent, François Villon once again left Paris.
Little is known of this new exile, except that he traveled part of France and once again ended up in prison! Pardoned by King Louis XII, he returned to Paris and wrote Le Testament. The bohemian and criminal life resumed as though it had never stopped, and one November evening in 1462, a clergyman was killed—not by François, but by one of his friends. Given that the poet already had a rather full criminal record, he was condemned to be hanged and strangled. It was at this point that he wrote the famous Ballade des Pendus, in which the repentant Christian’s plea for mercy is framed by divine justice.
As if the powers that be were particularly looking out for the poet’s interests, Villon was pardoned on January 5, 1463, the Parliament deeming the punishment imposed by the Provost of Paris excessive. However, the pardon came with a ten-year banishment from the city of Paris. He left the capital for the third time, and from that moment on, we know nothing more about him. His artistic output ceased, and his turbulent life faded into silence. François Villon was 32 years old.
This is about all we know of François Villon, here (largely) summarized from the historical documents that have survived and the allusions contained in his poems. A thief, a swindler, a bad boy, he nonetheless left us one of the most significant poetic legacies of the Middle Ages.