France used arts and culture as a way of displaying its power. This is demonstrated by King Francis I contribution to French Art and Culture through his patronage of Italian Artists, his expansion of the Royal Libraries, and his interest in occult sciences. During his rule Francis I is shown as a major supporter of Italian Arts. He invited Leonardo da Vinci to move to France in 1515, then gave him in the Manor of Cloux in which to live. Many of da Vinci’s famous works, including the “Mona Lisa”, were added to Francis I’s collection. Francis I also purchased works from several other Italian masters, including Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian. During his rule Francis I renovated several palaces including the Louvre which was later converted into an art museum. Francis I art collection was the base for the Louvre’s collection. Francis I was described as “pere de lettres” (father of letters). During his rule Francis I’s expansion of the Blois and Fontainebleau Libraries was the beginning of the modern Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. Francis I is also shown in the section as having an interest in occult sciences, alchemy, astrology, and Kabbalah. Francis I’s interest spurred him to create royal professorships. Originally there were only four positions but Francis I continually added more. This was the beginning of the College de France. Another form of art was storytelling. It was popularized by noblewomen at court from 1690-1705. Storytelling or salon tales were used as a way of practicing conversation skills. The term “nouveaux contes de fees” (fairy tales) was put into use during this time. Fairy Tales romanticized a past way of life and government in a time of change. This shows storytelling was used to popularize old ideas versus new ideas.