In an age of civil war and declining respect for the monarchy, she sought to bolster royal prestige through lavish cultural display. WebClarissa is the love child of the Catherine de' Medici, and her secret lover Richard Delacroix. "[123] Catherine gradually introduced changes to the traditional entertainments: for example, she increased the prominence of dance in the shows that climaxed each series of entertainments. Catherine de Medici's Chamber of Secrets Catherine did not hesitate to exploit her new authority. Clement housed Catherine in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, where she lived in state. [53] Guise, who called the massacre "a regrettable accident", was cheered as a hero in the streets of Paris while the Huguenots called for revenge. The legend that de' Medici introduced a long list of foods, techniques and utensils from Italy to France is discredited by food historians. [56] The Catholics took Rouen, but their triumph was short-lived. 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. On 20 August 1560, Catherine and the chancellor advocated this policy to an assembly of notables at Fontainebleau. They witnessed the first three civil wars and her desperate struggle against the Catholic extremists for the independence of the crown, the maintenance of peace, and the enforcement of limited toleration. Yes, Catherine De Medici has an illegitimate child named Clarissa Delacroix, after her affair with Richard Delacroix. Suspicions of poison abounded, from Catherine to Emperor Charles V.[24] Sebastiano de Montecuccoli confessed under torture to poisoning the Dauphin.[24]. Catherine de' Medici & her daughters Artistic, energetic, and extraverted, as well as discreet, courageous, and gay, Catherine was greatly esteemed at the dazzling court of Francis I, from which she derived both her political attitudes and her passion for building. WebIn Inquisition, it is revealed that Clarissa is the illegitimate daughter of Catherine de Medici and was born with a birthmark on her face. [52] On 1 March 1562, however, in an incident known as the Massacre of Vassy, the Duke of Guise and his men attacked worshipping Huguenots in a barn at Vassy (Wassy), killing 74 and wounding 104. Francis II became king at the age of fifteen. King Henry took part in the jousting, sporting Diane's black-and-white colours. Its principal purpose was to execute the edict and, through a meeting at Bayonne in June 1565, to seek to strengthen peaceful relations between the crown and Spain and to negotiate for Charless marriage to Elizabeth of Austria. In what has been called a coup d'tat, the Cardinal of Lorraine and the Duke of Guisewhose niece, Mary, Queen of Scots, had married Francis II the year beforeseized power the day after Henry II's death and quickly moved themselves into the Louvre Palace with the young couple. For the next ten days, Henry's state fluctuated. [118] There were also hundreds of portraits, for which a vogue had developed during Catherine's lifetime. Over the years, Catherine gave birth to ten children of which five were daughters. Margaret later recalled that she saved the lives of several prominent Huguenots during the massacre by keeping them in her rooms and refusing to admit the assassins. [21] King Francis lamented, "The girl has come to me stark naked."[22]. Did clarissa Possibly Catherines most concrete achievement was the Edict of January 1562, which followed the failure of reconciliation. Author of. After her brother's premature death in 1519, she educated his daughter Catherine, the future Queen of France . Catherine succeeded in obtaining the regency for Charles IX, with Antoine de Bourbon, king of Navarre and first prince of the blood, as lieutenant general, to whom the Protestants vainly looked for leadership. Catherine de Huguenot writers branded Catherine a scheming Italian, who had acted on Machiavelli's principles to kill all enemies in one blow. Catherines dowry was considered too small and alliances between royalty and merchant families like the Medicis, however rich, were still unusual. Over the years, Catherine gave birth to ten children of which five were daughters. Catherine appointed a mixed commission of moderates that devised two formulas of consummate ambiguity, by which they hoped to resolve the basic, Eucharist controversy. [101] He went into hiding to fast and pray, surrounded by a bodyguard known as "the Forty-five", and left Catherine to sort out the mess. [15] The city finally surrendered on 12 August 1530. [140] Catherine and Henry's inability to produce an heir for the first ten years of their marriage gave rise to suspicion of witchcraft. Henry allowed Catherine almost no political influence as queen. Catherine and the king then beat her, ripping her nightclothes and pulling out handfuls of her hair.[71]. WebCatherine eventually gave birth to ten children, beginning in 1543. Her relationship with her mother never did improve it was as if Catherine resented Margaret for being the healthiest child. It spread to many parts of France, where it persisted into the autumn. WebClarice Orsini (on the left) with her sister-in-law Bianca Maria de' Medici. His life was saved by the illness and death of the king, as a result of an infection or an abscess in his ear. On 19 January 1544, she at last gave birth to a son, named after King Francis. WebCatherine's mother died when she was two-weeks-old and her father soon afterwards. Huguenot writers later accused Catherine of murdering her with poisoned gloves. [115], Catherine believed in the humanist ideal of the learned Renaissance prince whose authority depended on letters as well as arms. Thus began her lifelong struggleexplicit in her correspondencewith these extremists who, supported by Spain and the papacy, sought to dominate the crown and extinguish its independence in the commingled interests of European Catholicism and personal aggrandizement. What happened to King Francis of France mother? "[106] As usual, Catherine advised the king, who had fled the city in the nick of time, to compromise and live to fight another day. [121], The musical shows in particular allowed Catherine to express her creative gifts. During his reign, Henry excluded Catherine from state affairs and instead showered favours on his chief mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who wielded much influence over him. The Parisians, however, claimed the right to defend the city themselves. Orsini, the wife of Lorenzo "il Magnifico" de [98] As Catherine put it, "peace is carried on a stick" (bton porte paix). Therefore, her policies may be seen as desperate measures to keep the House of Valois on the throne at all costs and her patronage of the arts as an attempt to glorify a monarchy whose prestige was in steep decline. The treaty became known as the Peace of Monsieur because it was thought that Francis had forced it on the crown. Catherine de Medici Seeing as they didn't know the other existed for the first 18 - to 20 years of their lives. Charles and Claude had a happy marriage, and their close proximity to the French court meant that they were able to visit Catherine often. Henry of Navarre, son of Jeanne dAlbret, and Margaret of Valois, Catherines daughter. When Jeanne arrived in Paris to buy clothes for the wedding, she was taken ill and died on 9 June 1572, aged forty-three. "[90] The death of her youngest son was a calamity for Catherine's dynastic dreams. Omissions? [74] The wedding took place on 18 August 1572 at Notre-Dame, Paris. Catherine had no more children. WebCatherine's full name is Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo de' Medici. WebCatherine de Medicis full name is Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo de Medici. 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[78], The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, which began two days later, has stained Catherine's reputation ever since. [141] This may be particularly true for Catherine as an Italian woman ruling in France; several historians argue that she was disliked by her French subjects, who labelled her "the Italian woman". Catherine de Medici, also called Catherine de Mdicis, Italian Caterina de Medici, (born April 13, 1519, Florence [Italy]died January 5, 1589, Blois, France), queen consort of Henry II of France (reigned 154759) and subsequently regent of France (156074), who was one of the most influential personalities of the CatholicHuguenot wars. 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. Through the intervention of Doctor Jean Fernel, the royal couple went on to have 10 children. Both of her parents died within weeks of her birth, leaving her an orphan. However, he denied ever providing such advice. How old was Catherine de Medici when she got married? From the notorious to the half-forgotten, Queens of Infamy, a Longreads series by Anne Thriault, focuses on badass world-historical women of centuries past. 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. How Catherine de Medici Made She is portrayed by Rebecca Liddiard. "[72] When Jeanne did come to court, Catherine pressured her hard,[73] playing on Jeanne's hopes for her beloved son. 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. However, three months after his coronation at Wawel Cathedral, Henry abandoned that throne and returned to France in order to become King of France. At the meeting of the Estates, Henry thanked Catherine for all she had done. The Guise brothers set about persecuting the Protestants with zeal. Blunt, 98, 100. For the next thirty years, France found itself in a state of either civil war or armed truce.[54]. 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". Did Catherine de Medici have Henry was carried to the Chteau de Tournelles, where five splinters of wood were extracted from his head, one of which had pierced his eye and brain. 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. A poem by Ronsard, engraved on its base, tells the reader not to wonder that so small a vase can hold so large a heart, since Henry's real heart resides in Catherine's breast.[132]. Copyright 2023 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes. The Spanish ambassador told Philip II that the abscess was about to burst.[103]. Catherine de Medici was the queen consort of Henry II of France (154759) and regent of France. 42 Scandalous Facts About Catherine de Medici Victoire and Jeanne were twin daughters born in 1556; Jeanne was stillborn due to surgeons breaking her legs to save her mother's life;[a] Victoire survived, dying less than two months later. The complexity of Catherines position during these years cannot be briefly explained. Catherine sent her only enough "to put food on her table". She may have owed her change of fortune to the physician Jean Fernel, who may have noticed slight abnormalities in the couple's sexual organs and advised them how to solve the problem. Catherine ordered him to court and had him imprisoned as soon as he arrived. Catherine, Diane, and Prince Francis all fainted. [141] An infertile woman, and in particular an infertile queen, was therefore regarded as 'unnatural' and a small step from supernatural. Because their birth very nearly cost Catherine her life, the king's physician advised the king that there should be no more children; therefore, Henry II stopped visiting his wife's bedroom and spent all his time with his longtime mistress, Diane de Poitiers. [34] Their proxy wedding, in Paris on 22 June 1559, was celebrated with festivities, balls, masques, and five days of jousting. On 5 January 1589, Catherine died at the age of sixty-nine, probably from pleurisy. "[112] She visited her old friend Cardinal de Bourbon on 1 January 1589 to tell him she was sure he would soon be freed. Antonella Campanini, "The Illusive Story Of Catherine de' Medici: A Gastronomic Myth". Spouse: King Henry II. What has he done? 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. Catherine visited the deathbed of Antoine de Bourbon, King of Navarre, after he was fatally wounded by an arquebus shot. In 1585, Margaret fled Navarre again. [12] The final one, the Santissima Annuziata delle Murate was her home for three years. 16th-century Italian noblewoman and queen consort of France, Consorts to debatable or disputed rulers are in. Viscount Catherine's former lover and Clarissa's father was Richard DelaCroix. Elizabeth I of England's execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, on 8 February 1587 outraged the Catholic world. 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. [128], Catherine had emblems of her love and grief carved into the stonework of her buildings. Catherine, in bed with a lung infection, had been kept in the dark. In August 1563 she declared the King of age in the Parlement of Rouen and, from April 1564 to January 1566, conducted him on a marathon itinerary round France. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He cared for her and also arranged her union to Henry, Duke of Orlans, the second son of King Francis I of France, in early 1533. 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. Princess Margaret of Valois, also known as Margot,is the daughter of Catherine de Medici and Henry II. WebClarissa Delacroix (1539-1557) was the illegitimate daughter of Queen Catherine de Medici and the French noble Richard Delacroix. From this time dates the legend of the wicked Italian queen. Catherine ended the first civil war in March 1563 by the Edict of Amboise, an attenuated version of the Edict of January. Eight months later, Jacques Clment stabbed Henry III to death. Catherine De Medici 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. [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". [57] Catherine, however, was delighted with the death of her ally. As a Farnese he felt no obligation to keep Clement's promises, broke the alliance with Francis and refused to continue paying her huge dowry. "[100], Henry was unable to fight the Catholics and the Protestants at once, both of whom had stronger armies than his own. Writing that she wanted to see Jeanne's children, she promised not to harm them. Claude gave birth to Catherines first grandson, named Henry, on 8 November 1563. In 1537, he had a brief affair with Philippa Duci, who gave birth to a daughter, whom he publicly acknowledged. WebHistorically, by Louis, she had two daughters, who were influential members of the royal household- there's no mention of a son like in the show, Sebastian . She had always enjoyed her visits to Claude, and now that would never be the same. Most of the Orsini men were soldiers, a profession which allowed them to amass huge territories around Rome and Naples. The problems facing the monarchy were complex and daunting. She presided over his council, decided policy, and controlled state business and patronage. Catherine pressed Jeanne d'Albret to attend court. Catherine de Medici, wife to one French king and mother to three more, died at Blois in 1589. It is essential to understand this in order to discern the coherence of her career. Heritier, 48, has the twins' deaths the other way round. [25] Divorce was discussed. 15 Feb 1471, d. 28 Dec 1503. By 1587, the Catholic backlash against the Protestants had become a campaign across Europe. I've never thought that, as they say, you eat little children. My name is Moniek and I am from the Netherlands. The death of Pope Leo in 1521 briefly interrupted Medici power until Cardinal Giulio de' Medici was elected Pope Clement VII in 1523. He cites Cloulas (. Claude and Charles would go on to have nine children, of which seven would survive to adulthood. In the words of historian Jules Michelet, "St Bartholomew was not a day, but a season". He noted that "each had shown valour in the joust". Margaret of Valois was the third daughter and seventh child of King Henry II of France and his Italian queen, Catherine de Medici. 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). Knecht 1998, p. 28, gives the English translation ""The girl has been given to me stark naked." In fact, a large population of Italiansbankers, silk-weavers, philosophers, musicians, and artists, including Leonardo da Vincihad emigrated to France to promote the burgeoning Renaissance. [102] The monarchy had lost control of the country, and was in no position to assist England in the face of the coming Spanish attack. Once in control of the royal purse, she launched a programme of artistic patronage that lasted for three decades. She was born less than 20 years ago to the couple while the Queen's husband was away. In 1593, Henry proposed an annulment of their marriage because he desperately needed an heir. The surgery removed part of the birthmark, but left Clarissa greatly disfigured due to the use of potions. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); To celebrate the 500th birthday of the formidable Catherine de Medici, we will be posting seven articles over the next seven days about her. Her three other daughters did survive to adulthood. 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." Margaret retained her titles and was financially taken care of, and perhaps for the first time, she had a good relationship with her husband. Thenceforth the problem of religion was one of power, public order, and administration. Margaret of Valois, Frances Slandered She is the younger half-sister of Clarissa and Sebastian, the younger sister of Francis, Louis, Elisabeth, Claude, Charles, Henry, Henrietta and Emone. This afforded the Calvinists licensed coexistence with specific safeguards. [9] Leo made Catherine Duchess of Urbino but annexed most of the Duchy of Urbino to the Papal States, permitting Florence to keep only the Fortress of San Leo. Catherine wrote to Henry of Charles IX's death: "I am grief-stricken to have witnessed such a scene and the love which he showed me at the end My only consolation is to see you here soon, as your kingdom requires, and in good health, for if I were to lose you, I would have myself buried alive with you. He was also a Huguenot while Margaret was a Catholic. Nevertheless, she was devastated at Elisabeths loss. [69], Catherine looked to further Valois interests by grand dynastic marriages. [76] Coligny was carried to his lodgings at the Htel de Bthisy, where the surgeon Ambroise Par removed a bullet from his elbow and amputated a damaged finger with a pair of scissors. [88] Francis died of consumption in June 1584, after a disastrous intervention in the Low Countries during which his army had been massacred. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. De Medici At first, Catherine compromised and made concessions to the rebelling Calvinist Protestants, or Huguenots, as they became known. Both of her parents died within weeks of her birth, leaving her an orphan. She also met her daughter Elisabeth at Bayonne near the Spanish border, amidst lavish court festivities. Three of her sons were kings of France: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Thus occupied, Catherine lived privately though she was appointed regent in 1552 during Henrys absence at the siege of Metz. Also Known As : Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici. Catherine sent Pomponne de Bellivre to Navarre to arrange Margaret's return. [80], The slaughter in Paris lasted for almost a week. At times he even felt well enough to dictate letters and listen to music. I am surprised that she never did worse. [35] There is reason to believe she was party to the decision when on 23 August Charles IX is said to have ordered, "Then kill them all! [122], Many of Caron's paintings, such as those of the Triumphs of the Seasons, are of allegorical subjects that echo the festivities for which Catherine's court was famous. The most famous of Catherines daughters was born on 14 May 1553. Young Elisabeth constantly suffered from childhood ailments and had not inherited her mothers robust health. About 1538, at the age of 19, Henry had taken as his mistress the 38-year-old Diane de Poitiers,[27] whom he adored for the rest of his life. 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. To avoid questions about the baby's distinguishing birthmark, she gave the baby to Nostradamus' father. Some historians have excused Catherine from blame for the worst decisions of the crown, but evidence for her ruthlessness can be found in her letters. 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. In 1585, Margaret abandoned her husband and was even imprisoned. [104] Philip II of Spain prepared for an invasion of England. They chose therefore to strike first and wipe out the Huguenot leaders while they were still in Paris after the wedding. [125], Catherine de' Medici's great love among the arts was architecture. For the first ten years of the marriage, the royal couple failed to produce any children together. Born Giulio de' Medici, Catherine's uncle took the name Clement VII upon becoming pope in 1523. The long-term future of the Valois dynasty, which had ruled France since the 14th century, seemed assured. 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". The Queen of France had faced many challenges all her life to have revolutionized what France is today. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Catherine was overjoyed at the match, but her joy was overshadowed by the death of her husband. 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. Elizabeth I was treated with similar suspicionshe too entertained questionable characters (such as her advisor, John Dee), and produced no official heir. Catherine de' Medici (Italian: Caterina de' Medici, pronounced[katerina de mditi]; French: Catherine de Mdicis, pronounced[katin d medisis]; 13 April 1519 5 January 1589) was a Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. Some sources claim that Victoire was the one who was stillborn. Updates? [87] On 6 May 1576, Catherine gave in to almost all Huguenot demands in the Edict of Beaulieu. Over the years, the two Queens were to maintain an energetic correspondence. He will not be spoken of again. But she was unable to avert its revocation (August 1568), which heralded the third civil war. The League took control of much of northern France to secure French ports for his armada. She inflicts her emotional pain on her mother and her siblings upon her arrival. Claude was born on 12 November 1547, and she too suffered from childhood ailments, like her elder sister. This probably cooled the relationship between Margaret and her mother considerably. Sebastian instead had Clarissa poisoned to fulfill Nostradamus' prophecy that Mary's arrival at the French court would cause Catherine's firstborn's death; Clarissa was technically Catherine's first child, and her death supposedly saved the sickly Prince Francis, the oldest legitimate child, from his own death.
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