▁married ▁Anne ▁of ▁Brit t any . ▁After ▁he ▁died ▁child less , ▁the ▁duch ess ▁had ▁to ▁marry ▁his ▁he ir ▁and ▁cousin ▁Louis ▁XII . ▁Anne ▁un success fully ▁tried ▁to ▁preserve ▁Bre ton ▁independence , ▁but ▁she ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 4 ▁and ▁the ▁union ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁crow ns ▁was ▁formally ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁Francis ▁I ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 2 . ▁He ▁granted ▁several ▁privileges ▁to ▁Brit t any , ▁such ▁as ▁exem ption ▁from ▁the ▁g abel le , ▁a ▁tax ▁on ▁salt ▁which ▁was ▁very ▁un pop ular ▁in ▁France . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁An ci en ▁Rég ime , ▁Brit t any ▁and ▁France ▁were ▁govern ed ▁as ▁separate ▁countries ▁under ▁the ▁same ▁crown , ▁so ▁Bre ton ▁arist ocr ats ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁royal ▁court ▁were ▁class ed ▁as ▁Prin ces ▁étr angers ▁( fore ign ▁princes ). ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁Brit t any ▁reached ▁an ▁economic ▁golden ▁age . ▁The ▁region ▁was ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁se aw ays ▁between ▁Spain , ▁England ▁and ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁and ▁it ▁greatly ▁benef ited ▁from ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁French ▁colonial ▁emp ire . ▁Local ▁se ap ort s ▁like ▁Br est ▁and ▁Saint - B rie uc ▁quickly ▁expanded , ▁and ▁Lor ient , ▁first ▁sp elled ▁" L ' Ori ent ", ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Saint - M alo ▁was ▁then ▁known ▁for