Collection: Francois Villon

François Villon (born 1431 or 1432, died after 1463) – French poet, author of the Great Testament (written around 1461). Information about Villon's biography comes from two sources: his works and court documents. His real name was François de Montcorbier or François des Loges. He was born into a poor Parisian family. After his father's death, he was adopted, educated and raised by a canon at the monastery of St. Benedict, Guillayme de Villon. This is where the poet's surname comes from. He studied at the University of Paris, graduating in liberal arts in 1452.

As a result of his brawling nature, as evidenced by his participation in many brawls, Villon became a professional criminal. After a fight with the priest Philippe de Charymore, who died as a result of the wound he received, he was sent to the Chatelet prison. He was released only thanks to the intercession of the Canon de Villon. He was a member of an organization of thieves, swindlers and money forgers called the Coquillards. They used a secret language in which the poet wrote several ballads. In 1463, after a fight with students using a knife, he was sent to prison and sentenced to hanging. Then he wrote the Ballad of the Hanged Man , in which he considers the world from the perspective of the gallows. He finally avoided hanging when, on appeal, his sentence was changed to 10 years of exile from Paris. There is no information in the sources about Villon's life after leaving Paris.