A year after their marriage, the duke began a long affair with Diane de Poitiers. It got so bad that she was blamed for the often convenient deaths of her enemies. She seemed destined for a life of ease and luxury. Francis, who'd recently married Mary Queen of Scots, was only 15 at the time and sickly. While Henry was on his death bed, ironically because of a jousting injury, Catherine refused to let Diane see him, and then she kicked her rival out of court and out of the chateau. Then rival factions overthrew the Medicis and Catherine was taken hostage and put in a convent. Catherine was not overjoyed at the fact that she had to share her husband's scattered attentions with another woman, but she also seemed to have understood the futility of trying to put an end to the affair, which Henry conducted in public without any pretense of shame. Her father was Lorenzo de Medici, Duke of Urbino and ruler of Florence and her mother was Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne, cousin of Francis I, King of France. For his part, Henry considered Duci's pregnancy proof positive that the infertility was all on Catherine's side. She was 69 years old and had spent the last thirty years fighting to keep the French throne in the hands of her sons, three of whom succeeded their father, Catherine… Catherine hedged her bets during Francis' short reign, closely observing court intrigue and advising her son in his dealings with the ambitious Guise family as well as the Huguenots, French protestants who resented the Catholic Valois rulers. Number two, Henry pretty much skipped town shortly after the wedding, heading to Italy, where he claimed to sire a daughter with a courtesan named Filippa Duci. For … His seeming acceptance and championing of governing by guile gave rise to the term "Machiavellian," shorthand for the moral bankruptcy of the powerful. Royal marriage was all about babies and cash transactions. Having lost control of Florence in 1494, they were desperate to restore their former status and fortune, built up by Lorenzo the Magnificent. Catherine de Medici was born in Florence in 1519. catherine de' medici s.r.l. Catherine de Medici A court rumor suggested that one reason she was permitted to take over as regent after her husband's death was because she deployed a member of her squad to sleep with the decision makers. It was an unsettled but amazingly not an entirely unhappy childhood and one that probably went a long way toward preparing her for her future, which, to the shock of many, included marriage to Henry Valois, the Duke of Orleans, and decades spent as the queen consort and then regent of France. She then went on to give Henry a total of 10 children, seven of whom survived into adulthood. Then, within weeks of her birth, she was orphaned. Number one, Henry showed very little bedroom interest in Catherine. She was also very small, hence the heels. A year later, though, Pope Clement died, and new pope, Paul III, refused to pay the rest of Catherine's dowry to the French court. Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici was born in Florence on 13 April 1519. Women of Power: The Life and Times of Catherine de' Medici. They figured, not only would she be forced to service them; she would also be ruined as a marriage prospect. In Season One as Queen of France, Catherine wore beautiful gowns of various colors and patterns along with matching crowns and jewelry which befitted her station as Queen. Catherine de Medici's unique agenda is called Black Queen. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. The latter, according to an ABC Radio Perth report, comes from Catherine's insistence on wearing the Renaissance equivalent of stilettos at her wedding to make her appear taller. According to this Atlas Obscura article, courtiers claimed Catherine poisoned d'Albret with a pair of tainted gloves. Read more. In 1536, the duke of Orléans became heir to the throne. Catherine's daughter, Marguerite, was understandably not thrilled with a scheme that involved her mother seducing her husband by proxy. The Huffington Post reports Catherine eventually resorted to having spy holes drilled in the floor of her bedroom so she could observe Henry and Diane in their element. As Prisoners of Eternity reports, Catherine was often described as polite, well-mannered ... and rather bug-eyed, the protruding orbs said to be a hallmark of the Medici physiognomy. background of catherine de medici. She continued to play a central role in government and made further fruitless attempts to reconcile the opposing sides in the ongoing civil war. Please don't think me evil for thinking so poorly of a deceased… Catherine clearly thought so, too, and, according to an article in The History of Urology, she took a number of drastic steps to try to up her fecundity, including drinking mule urine and dousing certain private areas of her body with bizarre things like cow dung and ground stags' antlers. She wishes to gain as many Spies and as much diplomatic access as she can, and dislikes leaders who ignore their espionage. Catherine de' Medici 1533 eyewear collection is not about colors, but lines. Catherine de Medici, (1519 – 1589) has been called the most powerful woman in sixteenth-century Europe and some historians say she did not hesitate to exploit her authority as Queen of France. Born on 13th April 1519, Catherine is still remembered as the 'Black Queen' of France, foe of all Protestants, and the Italian daughter of a merchant who dragged France … Catherine de Medici was born Catarina Maria Romula de'Medici to an Italian duke named Lorenzo II and his wife Madeleine de la Tour'Auvergne in 1519 at the height of the infamous Medici family's power and wealth. The Medicis were not longstanding French allies. Having observed the power her husband's mistress, Diane de Poitiers, held over her husband, Catherine gathered together a group of attractive and allegedly promiscuous young women to help her hold onto power. They also solidified Catherine's reputation as one heck of a hostess. There were a number of factors working against Catherine's becoming a mother. It's difficult to say who was more hated by their contemporaries — Catherine de Medici or Niccolo di Barnardo dei Machiavelli. The book was also been blamed at least partially for inspiring Catherine's decision to give the go ahead for the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of the Huguenots in which hundreds of men, women, and children were slaughtered on the streets of Paris, having gathered there to witness the wedding of Catherine's daughter, Marguerite, to the Protestant Henry, King of Navarre. For the first ten years of her marriage to Henry, Catherine failed to get pregnant. Catherine was inspired by the example of her father-in-law, King Francis I of France (reigned 1515–1547), who had hosted the leading artists of Europe at his court. Instead, Clement was able to marry Catherine off to Henry Valois, Duke of Orleans and second son to King Francis I of France. However, Catherine was surprised when the other woman, Diane de Poitiers continued to stay in both their lives. In addition, they made vain men feel fancy. Catherine de Medici was born on April 19, 1519 in Florence, Italy into the very infamous Medici family that ruled Florence with brute political power off and on between the 1200’s to 1743. Catherine and Henry were very much in love, even if he had been seeing another woman before their marriage. London: Jonathan Cape, 1943. She was a powerful influence in 16th century France, particularly during the Wars of Religion. Catherine de’ Medici, on the contrary, saved the crown of France; she maintained the royal authority in the midst of circumstances under which more than one great prince would have succumbed. This became known as the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, in which Catherine was probably involved. Both images credit: Public Domain. To Catherine, who had dedicated her adult life to preserving her family's power and its divine right to the throne, Marguerite's behavior was unforgivable. Trying to at least solve the first problem, Catherine enlisted the services of a famous physician, Jean Fernel, asking him to give both she and Henry a thorough physical examination. Near-Death Delivery. Their eldest son Francis was proclaimed king, but died after less than a year. #eyewear #madeinitaly #sunglasses #opticalframe #addictedtoblack #reinventaclassic #catherinedemedici1533 Henri Guise had another strike against him in Catherine's book: he was, obviously, not Marguerite's husband so when Catherine and her son, Charles, caught Marguerite in bed with Henri, they immediately started beating her. Catherine was also said to have directed one of the so-called flying girls, Charlotte de Sauve, to seduce her own daughter's husband, Henry of Navarre, as well as the Duke of Alecon (who'd been hatching a plan to displace Catherine), thereby working the two men against each other. Catherine de Médicis Reine de France (BM 1879,0510.256).jpg 1,201 × 1,600; 410 KB CathMedici Best.jpg 333 × 500; 27 KB Gabriella simeoni, discours francois, toscan et latin per caterina de' medici, francia 1556 ashburnham 1376).jpg 4,602 × 3,241; 8.64 MB Catherine de Medici, French- Catherine de Médicis, pronounced [katrin de medisis] 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589), daughter of Lorenzo II de’ Medici and Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne, was an Italian noblewoman who was queen of France from 1547 until 1559, by marriage to King Henry II. Catherine was very hurt to hear that Diane was pregnant before she was. Despite sorely depleted finances, his younger sons, Giovanni and Giuliano, backed a group of Italian States to defeat the French, in return for help to bring them back to power in Florence. Caterina Maria Romula de’ Medici (französisch Catherine de Médicis, deutsch Katharina von Medici, * 13. Catherine's mother died when she was two-weeks-old and her father soon afterwards. Henry, flamboyant and androgynous, was, according to the BBC, Catherine's favorite son. Eleven years later he was crowned Henry II of France. Her leader ability, Catherine's Flying Squadron, allows her to have 1 level of Diplomatic Visibility greater than normal with every civilization she has met. Catherine died on 5 January 1589 and was buried next to her husband in the church of St Denis in Paris. When Catherine's cousin and benefactor, Pope Clement VII, went about trying to arrange a match for her, he knew he was going to have a tough time attracting the kind of mate that would help restore the Medici name. Catherine de’ Medici was born in Florence, Italy, in 1519, to Lorenzo de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino and Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne, a French noblewoman. 11616810013 Years later, Pope Clement VII arranged the marriage of Catherine de' Medici to the second son of the French king, Prince Henry II. He began sleeping with his mentor, Diane de Poitiers, when he was a teenager and did not stop until his death, plus he openly bragged about siring a daughter out of wedlock with an Italian courtesan, going so far as to insist, according to historian Anne Theriault, that said daughter be named for de Poitiers. 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. "Queens of Infamy: The Rise of Catherine de Medici" records how Catherine was passed from her grandmother to her aunt and eventually became a pawn in a game being played out in the international stage. When Catherine's husband, King Henry, died unexpectedly in 1559, Catherine became Queen Mother and her eldest son was named King Francis II. In her exploration of Catherine's later life, Anne Theriault writes that not only did Catherine claim to have had a dream that predicted Henry's death in a jousting tournament, but she was said to wear an amulet made by Nostradamus containing both human and goat's blood. Find out more about how the BBC is covering the. It's very possible, though, that Duci's baby daddy wasn't Henry after all but another one of her hangers-on. sede legale: torino (to) via ottavio revel n.16 cap 10121 cap. Januar 1589 in Blois) war Prinzessin von Urbino und entstammte der einflussreichen florentinischen Familie der Medici.Durch Heirat mit Heinrich II. Another proposal was to toss her into the soldier's barracks where she would be treated as their personal sexual plaything. While men wore high heels, women wore platforms that were, in effect, stilts, often falling while trying to walk in them. One of the main sticking points between mother and daughter was Catherine's decision to arrange a marriage for Marguerite to the protestant Henry, King of Navarre, in an attempt to broker peace between French Catholics and their Huguenot rivals. Her mother was Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne, a wealthy Frenchwoman who had married into the Medici family as part of negotiations between the Vatican and the French throne. soc. Catherine de Medici (born Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici; April 13, 1519-January 5, 1589) was a member of the powerful Italian Medici family who became queen consort of France through her marriage to King Henry II. Orphaned as an infant when her parents died tragically, Catherine lived for several months in Florence with Pope Clement VII, her distant relative and benefactor. When Charles died at the age of 23, Catherine's third son, Henry, ascended the throne. Queens of Infamy: The Rise of Catherine de Medici, Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France, "Queens of Infamy: The Rise of Catherine de Medici", "The Machiavellian Matriarch Who Shadow-Ruled France Through Her Husband, Sons, and a Squadron of Spies,", "The Long Barren Years of Catherine de Medici: A Gynaecologist's View of History", "Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine de Medici", "Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine de Medici,", "Catherine de Medici: Patron of the Arts and Follower of the Occult". The new monarch, Charles, was only 9-years-old. There was talk of divorce, both because of Catherine's apparent infertility and because her opulent dowry had recently been reduced to nothing. Unfortunately it was to be a short reign as Henry died in a jousting accident in 1559, thrusting Catherine onto the political stage. Catherine de Medici (13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, and Queen mother to three different kings from 1559 until her death, during which she exerted great influence over France. Also, just before her husband's mistress was to move into Chaumont, a home owned by the Valois family, she made sure to redecorate the place in pentacles as part of a scrying ritual. But, as is the case with many strong female leaders, much of the criticism laid at Catherine de Medici's door was down to sexist notions about a woman's place in the world. So, Clement sweetened the pot, big time. Her father died, reportedly of tuberculosis or syphilis or both, and her mother died of the plague. ISBN 0-631-20704-X. According to an anecdote in "Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine de Medici," squad member Isabelle de Lemeuil managed to turn the devout Huguenot Louis de Conde Catholic for a while. Today marks the 500th anniversary of the day Catherine de' Medici (1519–1589) came into this world. The Orphaned Duchessia. Catherine de' Medici. € 10.000 | rea 1227707 | cod. It was not, according to "Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine de Medici," Catherine's proudest moment.  © Catherine de' Medici was born 13 April 1519 and died 5 January 1589 at the age of 69. She was the second daughter of Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany and his wife Christina of Lorraine . The marriage took place in France when they were both 14 years old. Then, within weeks of her birth, she was orphaned. ISBN 0-15-198370-4 Catherine then talked d'Albret back into her good graces by promising that, should her son, Henry, King of Navarre, marry Marguerite, he could remain a Protestant. The rebels who controlled Florence during this time despised the Medicis and wanted to see the entire clan and Catherine in particular come to ruin. At the time of her wedding, though, Marguerite was in love with Henri, Duke of Guise, a member of a family Catherine openly loathed. Catherine was rich, but she came of common stock and wasn't necessarily the prettiest little girl in the convent. She at first adopted a conciliatory policy towards the Huguenots (French Protestants), but in 1562 civil war broke out in France, marking the beginning of the series of conflicts which became known as the French Wars of Religion. However, no… How could she endanger the Valois legacy over a little thing called love? Pettegree, Andrew. Women sometimes suffered bodily harm while wearing platforms and were even know to miscarry after especially bad falls. The Age of Catherine de Medici. Catherine de' Medici was married to the French King Henry II (1519– 1559) and was mother and regent (one who governs a kingdom in the absence of the real ruler) of three other kings—Francis II (1544–1560), Charles IX (1550–1574), and Henry III (1551–1589). In 1556, Catherine’s late-starting but lucky streak with fertility came to a violent … In The Prince, Machiavelli appears to advocate for ruling one's subjects by deception and cunning. Catherine invited these masters to put on lavish performances at court festivals, which, as "Catherine de Medici: Patron of the Arts and Follower of the Occult" puts it, she planned and sponsored in order to show off France's cultural and financial wealth. The Florentine claims that when Catherine married Henry Valois in 1533, she brought with her a dowry that included 100,000 gold coins and lots and lots of jewels. Still others referred to her as the Maggot from Italy's Tomb, which is so metal. fisc. Catherine de Medici was a woman of power, she is certainly the most well-known queen of French history. (See Louis XIV.). This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002. According to Renaissance Warrior and Patron: The Reign of Francis the First, Clement also gave King Francis, Henry's father, a unicorn's horn mounted in gold. As a young woman, she witnessed at first hand the artistic flowering stimulated by his patronage. I for one think she should have been offed years earlier, but I haven't invented time travel yet, so as of right now, the dates stand. She also gains an extra Spy capacity and an extra Spy after researching Castles, and all her Spies start with a free promotion. Catherine went for broke, begging at the feet of her king/father-in-law to be allowed to stay. It was not until ten years after their marriage that Catherine gave birth to their first child. Her father was Lorenzo de Medici, the powerful ruler of Florence. Catherine’s mother died soon after her birth and her father died, a few days after that. Read more. In an age of civil war and declining respect for the monarchy, … Giovanni, already a Cardinal, was soon elected Pope as Leo X and … In Seasons Two, Three, and presently in Season Four as Queen Mother, and Queen Dowager Catherine still wears beautiful clothes a… e p.i. Machiavelli, a Florentine philosopher, writer, and politician, was hated in part for his infamous tome on how to rule the masses, The Prince, which, incidentally, he dedicated to Catherine's father, Lorenzo. Catherine de 'Medici ( włoski : Caterina de' Medici , wymawiane [kateˈriːna de ˈmɛːditʃi] ; francuski : Catherine de Médicis , wymawiane [katʁin də medisis] ; 13 kwietnia 1519-05 stycznia 1589) była włoską szlachcianką. Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici was born in Florence on 13 April 1519. In 1572, in an effort to bring reconciliation, Catherine arranged the marriage of her daughter Marguerite to the Protestant Henry, King of Navarre. Mon dieu! Catherine denied such rumors, of course, but her case was not aided by the fact that she was openly obsessed with prophecy and the occult. In 1533, at the age of 14, Catherine's uncle Pope Clement VII arranged her marriage to the duke of Orléans, second son of the king of France. Caterina de' Medici (2 May 1593 – 17 April 1629) was Duchess of Mantua and Montferrat as the second wife of Duke Ferdinando and Governor of Siena from 1627. During her turbulent childhood, she would go from nunnery to nunnery, miserable at some, happy at others, and, according to Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France, always in flux. Fortunately, neither of these sadistic scenarios came to pass. D'Albret had left court years before, turned off by Catherine's clique of pretty and promiscuous young women, the Flying Squadron. Catherine de Medici often alienated the regulars of the French court in her pursuit of power. Catherine de' Medici (tiếng Ý: Caterina de' Medici phát âm [kateˈriːna de ˈmɛːditʃi]; tiếng Pháp: Catherine de Médicis; () 13 tháng 4 năm 1519 – () 5 tháng 1 năm 1589), là một nữ quý tộc người Ý và trở thành Vương hậu nước Pháp từ năm 1547 đến năm 1559, với tư cách là vợ của Quốc vương Henri II của Pháp. Charles IX died in 1574 and Catherine's favourite son Henry succeeded as Henry III of France. Then, just two months before the marriage was to take place, d'Albret died in Paris, shopping for wedding clothes. Her most influential contribution to ballet was, according to Ballet in Western Culture, bringing famous Italian dance masters to the French court. Instead, he saved all his love for his cougar mistress, Diane de Poitiers. The black legend that has surrounded Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) since her stint as regent of France for her three eldest sons has made her one of history’s most infamous women — poisoner, fan of the occult and the supposed mastermind behind the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in … (The French Wars of Religion had been raging for decades and Catherine was anxious to end the bloodshed.). Diane remained a dominant force in his life for the next 25 years, leaving Catherine sidelined. By insisting on actual high-heeled shoes for her wedding, Catherine was a pioneer, making fashion a little safer for her sisters. This confused the court, especially King Francis who took it upon himself to observe the young couple's wedding night shenanigans and, as reported by "The Machiavellian Matriarch Who Shadow-Ruled France Through Her Husband, Sons, and a Squadron of Spies," declared that "each had shown valour in the joust.". While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Catherine's father and grandfather were Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino and Piero the Unfortunate respectively. The nickname she was least likely to object to was the Mother of the Modern High-Heeled Shoe. Oh the joys of 16th century reproductive medicine. BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Była także królową Francji od 1547 do 1559, przez małżeństwo z królem Henrykiem II i matką królów Franciszka II , Karola IX i Henryka III . She exerted an influence on the king and the decisions taken in France during the 16th century and even had a hand in shaping French food and culture. Catherine would also draw almost unprecedented ire and hatred from both her enemies and her own subjects. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Catherine was given many nicknames over the course of her lifetime. There, renowned Milanese choreographers like Pompeo Diabono and Cesare Negri helped transform ballet from a purely French form into something more cosmopolitan and global in scale. According to this look at Henry's relationship with Diane de Poitiers on Naked History, Henry often wore Diane's colors during jousting tournaments while Catherine sat on the sidelines, gritting her teeth and biding her time. Europe in the Sixteenth Century. Main Article: Catherine de' Medici/Appearance Catherine has long strawberry blonde hair which she usually wears tied up in a variety of different buns. Case in point, Jeanne d'Albret, prospective mother-in-law to Catherine's daughter, Marguerite. Then in 1560, their second son Charles was crowned, aged just ten years old. OCLC 39949296. Catherine was despised for her many attempts to hold onto power, which, according to Atlas Obscura, may or may not have included the murder of her rivals, and her failure to bring to an end to the decades-long Wars of Religion between French Catholics and their sworn enemies, the protestant Huguenots. "Queens of Infamy: The Rise of Catherine de Medici" says their plans for young Catherine included killing her, stripping her naked, and chaining her up to the Florence city walls. Inconceivable. Later, Catherine got her revenge. She also won a host of enemies when, as Maria Esquivel explains in her chronicling of the so-called St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, Catherine authorized a wholesale slaughter of the Huguenots in 1572. Henry wasn't faithful to Catherine. Henry and others at court blamed Catherine who was desperate to maintain her place as Henry's wife. Catherine acted as regent for the young king and as a result dominated Charles throughout his reign. That's a jerk move on so many levels. Catherine de Medici was born Catarina Maria Romula de'Medici to an Italian duke named Lorenzo II and his wife Madeleine de la Tour'Auvergne in 1519 at the height of the infamous Medici family's power and wealth. Daughter of Lorenzo de’ Medici, duke of Urbino, married the duc d’Orleans, 1533, became the queen of France when he succeeded to the throne as Henry II, 1547, the mother of three kings of France, Francis II, Charles IX. Adding insult to indignity, Catherine had to put up with Henry's gifting the house she wanted for herself, the Chateau de Chenonceau, to his mistress. New York and London: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1976. April 1519 in Florenz; † 5. As governor and regentof France, Catherine set out to imitate Francis's politics of magnificence. During the wedding celebrations in Paris, the Huguenot leader, Coligny, was murdered, as were hundreds of other Protestants who had gathered for the wedding. Instead, Catherine was penniless. Pope Clement wouldn't be able to arrange an advantageous union for her because her maidenhead would obviously be long lost. The New Yorker contends that many of Catherine's subjects believed that her children carried a copy of The Prince with them at all times. Divorce seemed imminent, not the least because, as "Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine de Medici" puts it, Francis' mistress (he had one too, of course) reviled Catherine and spoke against her every chance she got. Prior to Catherine's donning them for her marriage to Henry Valois, high heels were an accessory worn only by men who strapped them on to prod on horses. This greatly improved the queen’s position and the couple eventually had seven surviving children. Within a month of her birth, illness killed both of Catherine’s parents. Catherine's husband, Henry Valois, would go onto become Henry II upon the death of his father, Francis I. Henry's prominence in the French monarchy required, among other things, that he and his wife produce an heir, something they failed to do in the first decade of their marriage. It appears that, upon the completion of his examination of the two royals, Fernel gave them some very useful advice, because shortly after Fernel's consultation, Catherine became pregnant with her first child. Catherine de Medici (left) believed in prophecies and supported Nostradamus (right). Archive Photos/Getty Images Circa 1540, Catherine de Medici (1519-1589). On 5th January 1589, Catherine de’ Medici, the Queen Mother of France died at Blois, possibly of pleurisy. Catherine impressed her fellow courtiers with her talents for statesmanship, playing rivals against each other for her own and her son's advantage. Catherine de' Medici's patronage of the arts made a significant contribution to the French Renaissance. Francis was furious. Her father was Lorenzo de Medici who was the grandson of the likewise ruthless Lorenzo the Magnificent. Some called her the Serpent Queen, others the Black Queen or the Merchant's Daughter. As All That's Interesting explains, the women drifted in and out of court in silk and gold robes, alternately spying on and sleeping with Catherine's political enemies and sometimes even her friends. Catherine's relationship with her daughter, Marguerite, was incredibly fraught, and Marguerite detailed her many problems with her mother in her published autobiography, The Memoirs of Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre. Italian-born French queen, regent and mother of three kings of France. When Francis died only a year after his ascension, Catherine was given the title governor of France and a host of new powers. She seemed destined for a life of ease and luxury. The performances, as well as the festivals themselves, helped give birth to modern ballet. Catherine was not able to exert as much of her influence over Henry, but, prior to her death in 1589, she had left an indelible mark on the French monarchy, so much so that the decades she spent consolidating power became known as the Age of Catherine de Medici. Strage, Mark. Catherine de Medici was known primarily as a smart and sometimes ruthless leader, the woman behind the men of the Valois court, but she was also a passionate supporter of the arts, and it was during her time as governor of France that ballet as we know it really began to flourish. She has hazel eyes, fair skin and she is rather short. Francis, a softy, couldn't stand to see a woman in tears and vowed that she would be allowed to stay on as Henry's rightful wife. Died at the age of civil war and declining respect for the monarchy, … Delivery... Are able to arrange an advantageous union for her because her maidenhead would obviously be long lost had been! 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