[25] Divorce was discussed. She had known Mary since the age of five and a half, when the little Scottish queen was brought to Paris and raised alongside Catherines own children. [4] Without Catherine, it is unlikely that her sons would have remained in power. WebCatherine de Medicis full name is Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo de Medici. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. She is also known for her involvement in the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day (1572)part of the CatholicHuguenot wars (Wars of Religion; 156298)and for being mother to three kings of France. Three of her sons were kings of France: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Catherine met Coligny, but he refused to back down. For the next thirty years, France found itself in a state of either civil war or armed truce.[54]. [128], Catherine had emblems of her love and grief carved into the stonework of her buildings. [26] Catherine quickly conceived again and on 2 April 1545 she bore a daughter, Elisabeth. The death of Pope Leo in 1521 briefly interrupted Medici power until Cardinal Giulio de' Medici was elected Pope Clement VII in 1523. She was just 11 years old when she married Charles, Duke of Lorraine in January 1559 in a splendid ceremony at the Notre-Dame. Catherine de Medici was the daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, duca di Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour dAuvergne, a Bourbon princess related to many of the French nobility. Catherine de Medici was born in Florence, Italy, on April 13, 1519. Catherine then spent an hour trying to make Margaret presentable again. When Henry II died in 1559 Catherine de Medici went on to rule France in the name of her sons for the next 3 decades, until her death in 1589. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and stay up to date on History of Royal Women's articles! In the words of historian Jules Michelet, "St Bartholomew was not a day, but a season". The Parisians, however, claimed the right to defend the city themselves. Three of her sons became kings of France, while two of her daughters married kings and one married a duke. [4] Some time later, she gave birth to Francis . On 15 June 1588, Henry duly signed the Act of Union, which gave in to all the League's latest demands. [46], When Catherine realized Francis was going to die, she made a pact with Antoine de Bourbon by which he would renounce his right to the regency of the future king, Charles IX, in return for the release of his brother Cond. However, Catherine maintained the monarchy and the state institutions functioning, even at a minimum level. What has he done? Catherine was born in Florence to Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne. Joan became even sicker, and she died, shortly before her son arrived, on 9 June. Philip II excused himself from the occasion. Did Queen Catherine of France have a deformed daughter? Knecht 1998, p. 28, gives likely incorrect dates of 25 September 1533 for the death of Pope Clement VII and 12 October for the election of Pope Paul III. [38] The English ambassador reported a few days later that "the house of Guise ruleth and doth all about the French king". Many portraits in her collection were by Jean Clouet (14801541) and his son Franois Clouet (c.1510 1572). [89] Catherine wrote, the next day: "I am so wretched to live long enough to see so many people die before me, although I realize that God's will must be obeyed, that He owns everything, and that He lends us only for as long as He likes the children whom He gives us. During the period 156468, Catherine was unable, for complex reasons, to withstand the cardinal Lorraine, statesman of the Guises, who largely provoked the second and third civil wars. [121], The musical shows in particular allowed Catherine to express her creative gifts. She was left in the care of Nostradamus, who secretly brought her to the French court and allowed for her to live in the secret passageways of the castle, out of the sight of her family, who believed that she had died. Catherine travelled to Chtellerault where she bid farewell to her 13-year-old daughter. Heritier, 48, has the twins' deaths the other way round. Catherine was also eager for a match between one of her two youngest sons and Elizabeth I of England. Within a month Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Cond, and Admiral Gaspard de Coligny had raised an army of 1,800. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. "[111] Catherine's immediate reaction is not known; but on Christmas Day, she told a friar, "Oh, wretched man! Henry's reign also saw the rise of the Guise brothers, Charles, who became a cardinal, and Henry's boyhood friend Francis, who became Duke of Guise. She presided over his council, decided policy, and controlled state business and patronage. [104] Philip II of Spain prepared for an invasion of England. [148] Nevertheless, Catherine was never formally accused or prosecuted despite the fact that her reign experienced the greatest number of prosecutions for witchcraft in Italy. "[90] The death of her youngest son was a calamity for Catherine's dynastic dreams. The surgery removed part of the birthmark, but left Clarissa greatly disfigured due to the use of potions. [34] Their proxy wedding, in Paris on 22 June 1559, was celebrated with festivities, balls, masques, and five days of jousting. Prince Henry showed no interest in Catherine as a wife; instead, he openly took mistresses. Anyone who tells you differently is a liar. In desperation, Catherine tried every known trick for getting pregnant, such as placing cow dung and ground stags' antlers on her "source of life", and drinking mule's urine. As dauphine, Catherine was expected to provide a future heir to the throne. This lends some weight to the suggestion that people were labelled 'witches' simply because they did not act the way a woman would have been expected to act, or simply to suit personal or political agendas. Catherine was the daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, duca di Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour dAuvergne, a Bourbon princess related to many of the French nobility. He was also healthier, though he suffered from weak lungs and constant fatigue. Catherine delayed her daughters departure as much as she could, but they finally set out of for Spain on 18 November 1559. This she envisaged in terms of the marriage of her daughter Marguerite to the young Protestant leader, Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France), and alliance with England through the marriage of her son Henry, duc dAnjou, or, failing him, his younger brother Franois, duc dAlenon, to Queen Elizabeth. WebBorn into the one of the great families of the Italian Renaissance, Clarice Orsini was the daughter of Jacopo Orsini of Monterotondo, a man whose family had made its fortune as mercenaries. [69], Catherine looked to further Valois interests by grand dynastic marriages. On 24 June 1556, Catherine gave birth to twin daughters Joan and Victoire. Despite her considerable power, Leeza is the least favorite of Catherine's children, and underneath her tough facade is a legitimate desire for her mother's affections. Her merciful Edict of Amboise (March 1560) was followed in May by that of Romorantin, which distinguished heresy from sedition, thereby detaching faith from allegiance. He will not be spoken of again. Margaret would later write that she trembled whenever she was summoned by her mother. Catherine now rallied both Huguenot and Catholic forces to retake Le Havre from the English. Just six days after the wedding the St. Bartholomews Day massacre a group of assassinations followed by a wave of violence after the Huguenots who were there for the wedding took place. The years during which her sons reigned have been called "the age of Catherine de' Medici" since she had extensive, if at times varying, influence in the political life of France.[1]. [141] An infertile woman, and in particular an infertile queen, was therefore regarded as 'unnatural' and a small step from supernatural. Nevertheless, the wedding did take place, at Nice in 1533. Catherine and the king then beat her, ripping her nightclothes and pulling out handfuls of her hair.[71]. [24] According to the court chronicler Brantme, "many people advised the king and the Dauphin to repudiate her, since it was necessary to continue the line of France". Listed works of art included tapestries, hand-drawn maps, sculptures, rich fabrics, ebony furniture inlaid with ivory, sets of china, and Limoges pottery. [91] Catherine cut Margaret out of her will and never saw her again. The last two daughters were twins; one of the twins, Joan, died during the delivery and the other, Victoire, died a few weeks later. Others point to the Guise family or a Spanish-papal plot to end Coligny's influence on the king. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Catherines first great political crisis came in July 1559 upon the accidental death of Henry II, a traumatic bereavement from which it is doubtful that she ever recovered. Caron's vivid Mannerism, with its love of ceremonial and its preoccupation with massacres, reflects the neurotic atmosphere of the French court during the Wars of Religion. Henry wrote a note to Villeroy, which began: "Villeroy, I remain very well contented with your service; do not fail however to go away to your house where you will stay until I send for you; do not seek the reason for this my letter, but obey me." Also Known As : Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici. The last two daughters were twins; one of the twins, Joan, died during the delivery and the other, Victoire, died a few weeks later. [75] A smoking arquebus was discovered in a window, but the culprit had made his escape from the rear of the building on a waiting horse. She was crowned in the Basilica of Saint-Denis on 10 June 1549. Biography Early Life Margaret outlived her former husband, her mother, her father and all her siblings. At times he even felt well enough to dictate letters and listen to music. Catherine was heard yelling at her for taking lovers. [8] King Francis wanted Catherine to be raised at the French court, but Pope Leo refused, claiming he wanted her to marry Ippolito de' Medici. To save Catherines life, baby Joan dead or dying had her legs broken to remove her from her mothers womb. He sent the Duke of Alba to tell Catherine to scrap the Edict of Amboise and to find punitive solutions to the problem of heresy. Where was Catherine de Medici born and raised? It was designed by Francesco Primaticcio (15041570), with sculpture by Germain Pilon (15281590). Claude gave birth to Catherines first grandson, named Henry, on 8 November 1563. She also met her daughter Elisabeth at Bayonne near the Spanish border, amidst lavish court festivities. In 1570, Charles IX married Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. "[112] She left in tears. She later did her best to efface or outdo Diane's building work there. Later, she resorted in frustration and anger to hardline policies against them. "The Louvre: Royal Residence and Temple of the Arts". Catherines second great political crisis came with the premature death on December 5, 1560, of Francis II, whose royal authority the Guises had monopolized. The League took control of much of northern France to secure French ports for his armada. [45] Neither saw the need to punish Protestants who worshipped in private and did not take up arms. The surgery removed part of the birthmark, but left Clarissa greatly disfigured due to the use of potions. On her visit to Rome, the Venetian envoy described Catherine as "small of stature, and thin, and without delicate features, but having the protruding eyes peculiar to the Medici family". Suspicions of poison abounded, from Catherine to Emperor Charles V.[24] Sebastiano de Montecuccoli confessed under torture to poisoning the Dauphin.[24]. The Protestants looked for leadership first to Antoine de Bourbon, King of Navarre, the First Prince of the Blood, and then, with more success, to his brother, Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Cond, who backed a plot to overthrow the Guises by force. In 1793, a revolutionary mob tossed her bones into a mass grave with those of the other kings and queens.[114]. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Frieda 2003, p. 48 (NY edition): "J'ai reu la fille toute nue." Viscount Catherine's former lover and Clarissa's father was Richard DelaCroix. Yes, Catherine De Medici has an illegitimate child named Clarissa Delacroix, after her affair with Richard Delacroix. Henry allowed Catherine almost no political influence as queen. In 1556, Catherine nearly died giving birth to twin daughters, Jeanne and Victoire. By 1587, the Catholic backlash against the Protestants had become a campaign across Europe. He sought the support of France's constitutional bodies and worked closely with Catherine to defend the law in the face of the growing anarchy. [124] Owing to its synthesis of dance, music, verse, and setting, the production of the Ballet Comique de la Reine in 1581 is regarded by scholars as the first authentic ballet. "[72] When Jeanne did come to court, Catherine pressured her hard,[73] playing on Jeanne's hopes for her beloved son. On 17 August 1563, Charles IX was declared of age at the Parlement of Rouen, but he was never able to rule on his own and showed little interest in government. He cites Cloulas (. On 25 November 1579, she wrote to the king, "You are on the eve of a general revolt. Over the years, Catherine gave birth to ten children of which five were daughters. [116] She was inspired by the example of her father-in-law, King Francis I of France, who had hosted the leading artists of Europe at his court, and by her Medici ancestors. 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Catherine de Medici was the daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, duca di Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour dAuvergne, a Bourbon princess related to many of the French nobility. She was also an influential patron She was the only one of Catherines children to inherit her good health. At the same moment, eight members of the Guise family were rounded up, including the Duke of Guise's brother, Louis II, Cardinal of Guise, who Henry's men hacked to death the next day in the palace dungeons. On 20 August 1560, Catherine and the chancellor advocated this policy to an assembly of notables at Fontainebleau. As the siege dragged on, voices called for Catherine to be killed and exposed naked and chained to the city walls. They formed an alliance with England and seized town after town in France. Sutherland, Yet on 22 December 1588, Guise spent the night with his current mistress. He defeated the dukes of Guise and Nemours, but the young Gabriel, comte de Montgomery, knocked him half out of the saddle. This afforded the Calvinists licensed coexistence with specific safeguards. Clarissa Delacroix was born in 1539, the illegitimate daughter of Queen Catherine de Medici of France and King Henry II of Frances boyhood friend Richard Delacroix. To create the necessary dramas, music, and scenic effects for these events, Catherine employed the leading artists and architects of the day. The problems facing the monarchy were complex and daunting. [85] Catherine did all in her power to bring Francis back into the fold. Catherine's husband, now Henry II, had been cared for at age eleven by Diane de Poitiers, who was twenty years his senior. Catherine, who was said to have received the news without emotion, made a tearful visit to Coligny and promised to punish his attacker. Meanwhile, Cond raised an army and in autumn 1560 began attacking towns in the south. Henry VIII was king of England and still (mostly) happily married to Catherine of Aragon. The 10 years from 1560 to 1570 were, politically, the most important of Catherines life. Born in Florence, she was the granddaughter of Lorenzo de' Medici, niece of Pope Leo X and sister to Lorenzo II de' Medici. Claude died in childbirth in 1575 and Catherine was truly devastated. She quickly terminated the second (September 1567March 1568) with the Peace of Longjumeau, a renewal of Amboise. WebClarissa Delacroix was born in 1539, the illegitimate daughter of Queen Catherine de Medici of France and King Henry II of France's boyhood friend Richard Delacroix. Her three other daughters did survive to adulthood. [14] In October 1529, Charles's troops laid siege to Florence. Piero II de Medici+ b. "[79] Historians have suggested that Catherine and her advisers expected a Huguenot uprising to avenge the attack on Coligny. WebFrance Catherine de Medici was born in Florence (Firenze), Italy on April 13th and is known to be one of the most important women during the Renaissance period. She went on to bear Henry a further eight children, seven of whom survived infancy, including the future Charles IX (born 27 June 1550); the future Henry III (born 19 September 1551); and Francis, Duke of Anjou (born 18 March 1555) and Claude (born 12 November 1547). Through the intervention of Doctor Jean Fernel, the royal couple went on to have 10 children. He often hid from state affairs, immersing himself in acts of piety, such as pilgrimages and flagellation. Moving on to the fortress of Carlat, Margaret took a lover called d'Aubiac. She wrote to her daughter Elisabeth: "My principal aim is to have the honour of God before my eyes in all things and to preserve my authority, not for myself, but for the conservation of this kingdom and for the good of all your brothers". [70] After Catherine's daughter Elisabeth died in childbirth in 1568, she had touted her youngest daughter Margaret as a bride for Philip II of Spain. In 1536, Henry's older brother, Francis, caught a chill after a game of tennis, contracted a fever and died shortly after, leaving Henry the heir. Margaret had put up a good show for the Queen and Joan wrote enthusiastically to her son with one point, If she embraces our religions, I may say that we are the happiest persons in the world Margaret could not have opposed this match with Henry more, but it was going to happen whether she wanted or not. The Duke of Guise launched an attack into the woods around the chteau. Three of her sons became kings of France, while two of her daughters married kings and one married a duke. In the Treaty of Nemours, signed on 7 July 1585, he was forced to give in to all the League's demands, even that he pay its troops. Claude and Charles would go on to have nine children, of which seven would survive to adulthood. [3] In practice, her authority was limited by the effects of the civil wars. She was left with a desire for revenge against her mother, saving Mary, Queen of Scots from Colin MacPhail when Catherine sent Colin to rape her in 1557; she then helped Colin in attempting to escape from prison by marking another prisoner for death in his stead. [21] King Francis lamented, "The girl has come to me stark naked."[22]. However, she failed to fully grasp the theological issues that drove their movement. In 1537, he had a brief affair with Philippa Duci, who gave birth to a daughter, whom he publicly acknowledged. [63] The war was ended by the Peace of Longjumeau of 2223 March 1568, but civil unrest and bloodshed continued. Religious reconciliation was the conveners purpose of the Colloquy of Poissy (SeptemberNovember 1561). The treaty was sealed by the betrothal of Catherine's thirteen-year-old daughter Elisabeth to Philip II of Spain. To some extent she was eclipsed by Louis of Nassau and a group of Flemish exiles and youthful Protestants who surrounded the King and urged him to make war upon Spain in the Netherlands, which Catherine inevitably resisted. At first Catherine kept him very close to her, and even slept in his chamber. Three days later, Admiral Coligny was walking back to his rooms from the Louvre when a shot rang out from a house and wounded him in the hand and arm. Henry hired Swiss troops to help him defend himself in Paris. [13] Clement had no choice but to crown Charles of Habsburg as Holy Roman Emperor in return for his help in retaking the city. On 18 February 1563, a spy called Poltrot de Mr fired an arquebus into the back of the Duke of Guise, at the siege of Orlans. Eight months later, Jacques Clment stabbed Henry III to death. She took to her bed with a fever. [117], An inventory drawn up at the Htel de la Reine after Catherine's death shows her to have been a keen collector. "[112] She visited her old friend Cardinal de Bourbon on 1 January 1589 to tell him she was sure he would soon be freed. Art historian Henri Zerner has called this monument "the last and most brilliant of the royal tombs of the Renaissance. Catherine was one of his godparents and was overjoyed to see her daughter again.
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