Suspicions of poison abounded, from Catherine to Emperor Charles V.[24] Sebastiano de Montecuccoli confessed under torture to poisoning the Dauphin.[24]. As dauphine, Catherine was expected to provide a future heir to the throne. Mark Strage described these years as "the happiest of her entire life". Listed works of art included tapestries, hand-drawn maps, sculptures, rich fabrics, ebony furniture inlaid with ivory, sets of china, and Limoges pottery. Elizabeth I of England's execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, on 8 February 1587 outraged the Catholic world. Henry's death in 1559 thrust Catherine into the political arena as mother of the frail 15-year-old King Francis II. "The Louvre: Royal Residence and Temple of the Arts". WebCatherine de' Medici married Henry, Duke of Orlans, the future Henry II of France, in Marseille on 28 October 1533. 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. Died: January 5, 1589, in Blois, France. [25] Divorce was discussed. [43] Others they drowned in the river or strung up around the battlements while Catherine and the court watched. Catherine was born in Florence to Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne. [97] By 1585, Henry III had no choice but to go to war against the League. [26] Catherine quickly conceived again and on 2 April 1545 she bore a daughter, Elisabeth. He remarried to Marie de Medici and had several children by her. The Huguenots retreated to the fortified stronghold of La Rochelle on the west coast, where Jeanne d'Albret and her fifteen-year-old son, Henry of Bourbon, joined them. Spouse: King Henry II. [19] Clement visited the newlyweds in bed the next morning and added his blessings to the night's proceedings. Catherine believing her daughter had died in the forest, while Clarissa never knew who her birth parents were. At first Catherine kept him very close to her, and even slept in his chamber. 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 de Medici 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. Princess Margaret of Valois, also known as Margot,is the daughter of Catherine de Medici and Henry II. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [49], She summoned church leaders from both sides to attempt to solve their doctrinal differences. Years later, Diane, daughter of Henry II and Philippa Duci, had Catherine's remains reinterred in the Saint-Denis basilica in Paris. His designs for the Valois Tapestries celebrate the ftes, picnics, and mock battles of the "magnificent" entertainments hosted by Catherine. Not much later, she actually married Philip himself when he was widowed upon the death of Queen Mary I of England. In this cause, he recruited the great Catholic princes, nobles and prelates, signed the treaty of Joinville with Spain, and prepared to make war on the "heretics". 16th-century Italian noblewoman and queen consort of France, Consorts to debatable or disputed rulers are in. Charles had been largely brought up at the French Court and Claude probably knew him well. In 1585, Margaret fled Navarre again. [3] In practice, her authority was limited by the effects of the civil wars. Catherine had at least taken the precaution of marrying Margaret, her youngest daughter, to Navarre. The imperial ambassador reported that in the presence of guests, Henry would sit on Diane's lap and play the guitar, chat about politics, or fondle her breasts. At the meeting of the Estates, Henry thanked Catherine for all she had done. [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. 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. Catherine's marriage was arranged by her uncle Pope Clement VII. * * *. Seeing as they didn't know the other existed for the first 18 - to 20 years of their lives. She had always enjoyed her visits to Claude, and now that would never be the same. Blunt, 98, 100. As the siege dragged on, voices called for Catherine to be killed and exposed naked and chained to the city walls. Three of her sons became kings of France, while two of her daughters married kings and one married a duke. [92] Her role in his government became that of chief executive and roving diplomat. 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. [47] As a result, when Francis died on 5 December 1560, the Privy Council appointed Catherine as governor of France (gouvernante de France), with sweeping powers. Where was Catherine de Medici born and raised? Biography. [58] On 19 March 1563, the Edict of Amboise, also known as the Edict of Pacification, ended the war. The complexity of Catherines position during these years cannot be briefly explained. From that day, Catherine took a broken lance as her emblem, inscribed with the words "lacrymae hinc, hinc dolor" ("from this come my tears and my pain"), and wore black mourning in memory of Henry.[36]. Catherine de Medici was best known for being the queen consort of Henry II of France (154759) and regent of France. [63] The war was ended by the Peace of Longjumeau of 2223 March 1568, but civil unrest and bloodshed continued. This probably cooled the relationship between Margaret and her mother considerably. Catherine sent her only enough "to put food on her table". Born in Florence, she was the granddaughter of Lorenzo de' Medici, niece of Pope Leo X and sister to Lorenzo II de' Medici. It spread to many parts of France, where it persisted into the autumn. Catherine did not hesitate to exploit her new authority. 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. [88] Francis died of consumption in June 1584, after a disastrous intervention in the Low Countries during which his army had been massacred. Frieda 2003, p. 48 (NY edition): "J'ai reu la fille toute nue." They finally married on 18 August, but Margaret persisted until the end, she offered no resistance, she gave no assent. Her head was pushed down by her brother as if she were nodding yes and so she became the Queen of Navarre. "If Monsieur de Guise had perished sooner", she told the Venetian ambassador, "peace would have been achieved more quickly". As time passed and the likelihood of children from the marriage receded, Catherine's youngest son, Francis, Duke of Alenon, known as "Monsieur", played upon his role as heir to the throne, repeatedly exploiting the anarchy of the civil wars, which were by now as much about noble power struggles as religion. [108] Henry did not tell Catherine of his plan for a solution to his problems. There is so much treachery about that I die of fear. Claude gave birth to Catherines first grandson, named Henry, on 8 November 1563. [117], An inventory drawn up at the Htel de la Reine after Catherine's death shows her to have been a keen collector. Knecht 1998, p. 8 (dates of death); Hritier 1963, p. 15 (cause of Madeleine's death). She herself supervised their education. Heritier, 48, has the twins' deaths the other way round. Joan became even sicker, and she died, shortly before her son arrived, on 9 June. At the age of five and a half, Mary was brought to the French court, where she was promised to the Dauphin, Francis. [15] The city finally surrendered on 12 August 1530. The Duke of Guise launched an attack into the woods around the chteau. Hoogvliet, Margriet. She was one of the most influential personalities of the CatholicHuguenot wars (Wars of Religion; 156298). Did Catherine de Medici have [81] On 29 September, when Navarre knelt before the altar as a Roman Catholic, having converted to avoid being killed, Catherine turned to the ambassadors and laughed. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Claude died in childbirth in 1575 and Catherine was truly devastated. On 27 September 1567, in a swoop known as the Surprise of Meaux, Huguenot forces attempted to ambush the king, triggering renewed civil war. She was born in Florence, Italy, on April 13, 1519. [2] In return, she was blamed for the persecutions carried out under her sons' rules, in particular the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572, during which thousands of Huguenots were killed in France. Catherine, Diane, and Prince Francis all fainted. In spite of Henrys abiding attachment to his mistress Diane de Poitiers, Catherines marriage was not unsuccessful and, after 10 anxious years, she bore him 10 children, of whom 4 boys and 3 girls survived. According to the diplomat Simon Renard, the birth nearly killed Catherine,[150] and the royal couple were advised by the King's physician to have no further children. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He shouted at her, "Your words, Madam, have led us all to this butchery. [62] Taken unawares, the court fled to Paris in disarray. Orphaned within days, Catherine was highly educated, trained, and disciplined by nuns in Florence and Rome and married in 1533 by her uncle, Pope Clement VII, to Henry, duc dOrlans, who inherited the French crown from his father, Francis I, in April 1547. She gave birth to ten children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived to marriageable age. Franois Clouet drew and painted portraits of all Catherine's family and of many members of the court. 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. She later did her best to efface or outdo Diane's building work there. Clarissa Over the years, Catherine gave birth to ten children of which five were daughters. In fact, by her death, that land was filled with regrets, and M. de Lorraine mourned her so much that, though he was young when widowed of her, he would not marry again, saying he could never find her like, though could he do so he would remarry, not being disinclined. Did Catherine outlived all her children except Henry III, who died seven months after her, and Margaret, who inherited her robust health. In 1558, she was considered for Don Carlos, the eldest son of King Philip II of Spain. The members of the Flying Squadron were supposedly so beautiful and so good at their jobs that they were known to make men see God, or at least worship Him in a different way. Many historians have blamed Catherine for the attack on Coligny. Catherine sent Pomponne de Bellivre to Navarre to arrange Margaret's return. Catherine adopted a moderate stance and spoke against the Guise persecutions, though she had no particular sympathy for the Huguenots, whose beliefs she never shared. Rumours of Henry's inability to produce children were by that time in wide circulation. However, Catherine's ability to bear children failed to improve her marriage. Nevertheless, popular culture frequently attributes Italian culinary influence and forks in France to Catherine. After Franciss death, Catherine wrote to her daughter, Ma fille (my daughter) mamie (my friend), commend yourself to God, for you have seen me as happy as you are now, never knowing any sorrow but that I was not loved as much as I wished to be by the King your father, who honoured me more than I deserved, but I loved him so much that I was always in fear, as you know; and God has taken him from me and, not content with that, has deprived me of your brother.. Her relationship with her mother never did improve it was as if Catherine resented Margaret for being the healthiest child. [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 start of Season One, in 1557, Diane de Poitiers was actually 58 years old. "[83], Henry was Catherine's favourite son. For the first ten years of the marriage, the royal couple failed to produce any children together. She was closely involved in the planning and supervising of all her architectural schemes. On 15 June 1588, Henry duly signed the Act of Union, which gave in to all the League's latest demands. [59] Catherine held talks with Jeanne d'Albret, the Protestant queen regnant of Navarre (and the wife of Antoine de Bourbon) at Mcon and Nrac. Of the chateaus she designed herselfincluding the TuileriesChenonceaux was her unfinished masterpiece. She took to her bed with a fever. Catherine de' Medici Today marks the 500th anniversary of the day Catherine de' Medici (15191589) came into this world. 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. Frieda 2003, p. 47 (NY edition). [40] Nevertheless, all his official acts began with the words: "This being the good pleasure of the Queen, my lady-mother, and I also approving of every opinion that she holdeth, am content and command that". Monsieur de Guise is dead. Princess Henriette, Princess Henriette, Princess Margaret, and Clarissa all died young, leaving Catherine with an illegitimate daughter. His troops surprised the rebels and killed many of them on the spot, including the commander, La Renaudie. Claude and Charles would go on to have nine children, of which seven would survive to adulthood. She presided over his council, decided policy, and controlled state business and patronage. Once in control of the royal purse, she launched a programme of artistic patronage that lasted for three decades. 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. WebClarice di Piero de' Medici (14891528) [1] was the daughter of Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici and Alfonsina Orsini . "As the daughter of the Medici," suggests French art historian Jean-Pierre Babelon, "she was driven by a passion to build and a desire to leave great achievements behind her when she died. The year was 1519. [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. She died on January 5th, 1589 in Blois France. Victoire died just under two months later on 17 August. Catherine De Medici The fourteen-year-old couple left their wedding ball at midnight to perform their nuptial duties. [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. [13] Clement had no choice but to crown Charles of Habsburg as Holy Roman Emperor in return for his help in retaking the city. She was also an influential patron One of her first acts was to force Diane de Poitiers to hand over the crown jewels and return the Chteau de Chenonceau to the crown. Knecht 1998, p. 28, gives the English translation ""The girl has been given to me stark naked." "Princely Culture and Catherine de Mdicis". Catherine delayed her daughters departure as much as she could, but they finally set out of for Spain on 18 November 1559. [82], Two years later, Catherine faced a new crisis with the death of Charles IX at the age of twenty-three. It has been suggested that Catherine educated her son, Henry III, in the dark arts,[145] and that "the two devoted themselves to sorceries that were scandals of the age". Catherine asked Henry to act before Margaret brought shame on them again. From that moment, she abandoned compromise for a policy of repression. Catherine herself had been educated by Cosimo Ruggeri in astrology and astronomy, which were closely linked in her day[143] and were an academic rather than a Satanic activity,[144] although his general background and favourite status suggests there was more to it than that.