During the period 1564–68, Catherine was unable, for complex reasons, to withstand the cardinal Lorraine, statesman of the Guises, who largely provoked the second and third civil wars. In spite of Henry’s abiding attachment to his mistress Diane de Poitiers, Catherine’s marriage was not unsuccessful and, after 10 anxious years, she bore him 10 children, of whom 4 boys and 3 girls survived. 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. Henry’s mother Jeanne d’Albret died mysteriously following the engagement, a death for which Huguenots blamed Catherine. e p.i. She quickly terminated the second (September 1567–March 1568) with the Peace of Longjumeau, a renewal of Amboise. Of the chateaus she designed herself—including the Tuileries—Chenonceaux was her unfinished masterpiece. 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. For the next two years Catherine’s policy was one of peace and general reconciliation. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. She did, however, have a governess when she returned to Florence in 1532 and went on to have a passion for literature and science all her life. She maintained a large personal collection at her residence, while also encouraging innovative artists and supporting the creation of elaborate spectacles with music, dance, and stagecraft. A true Medici, Catherine embraced Renaissance ideals and the value of culture. Catherine de Medici's Leader Ability: Catherine's Flying Squadron (Part 1/3) Get used to your screen being filled with spam every turn. Her era was a period of intense civil disputes. She was the granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent and related to two Popes, Leo X and Clement VII. In 1529, Charles besieged Florence, and the forces … While Catherine was rumored to be responsible for several acts of violence, she also made several attempts at brokering peace. Omissions? By 1537, Henry had his first acknowledged child with another mistress but he and Catherine failed to produce any children, until 1544 when their first son Francis was born. Catherine de' Medici was born 13 April 1519 and died 5 January 1589 at the age of 69. 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. She was not primarily responsible for the more far-reaching Treaty of Saint-Germain (August 1570), but she succeeded in disgracing the Guises. She was directly involved in several grand building projects, as well as the creation of memorials to her late husband. The worst, though, was still to come. She undoubtedly wielded considerable influence in 16th century renaissance Europe. The 10 years from 1560 to 1570 were, politically, the most important of Catherine’s life. It is also necessary to understand this political struggle of the Catholic crown with its own ultramontane extremists and to perceive its fluctuations in changing circumstances, in order to realize the fundamental consistency of Catherine’s career. Catherine ended the first civil war in March 1563 by the Edict of Amboise, an attenuated version of the Edict of January. Possibly Catherine’s most concrete achievement was the Edict of January 1562, which followed the failure of reconciliation. This rejection was one basic element in the outbreak of civil war in 1562, in which—as she had predicted—Catherine fell, politically, into the clutches of the extremists, because the Catholic crown might protect its Protestant subjects in law but could not defend them in arms. 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 d’Orléans, who inherited the French crown from his father, Francis I, in April 1547. Her uncles were powerful Popes in Rome. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. NaturesFinery. Prahl, Amanda. Catherine de' Medici was born to the Medici family of Florence in 1519. Born as the daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici, the ruler of Florence, and his wife Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne, the Countess of Boulogne, she lost both her parents at an early age. 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. This colored her reputation thereafter, though historians differ as to her level of responsibility. Only weeks later, however, Madeleine fell ill and died. 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. Catherine de’ Medici was best known for being the queen consort of Henry II of France (1547–59) and regent of France. Catherine appointed a mixed commission of moderates that devised two formulas of consummate ambiguity, by which they hoped to resolve the basic, Eucharist controversy. Catherine de’ Medici, also called Catherine de Médicis, Italian Caterina de’ Medici, (born April 13, 1519, Florence [Italy]—died January 5, 1589, Blois, France), queen consort of Henry II of France (reigned 1547–59) and subsequently regent of France (1560–74), who was one of the most influential personalities of the Catholic–Huguenot wars. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-de-Medici, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of Catherine de' Medici, History Learning Site - Biography of Catherine de Medici, Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici, duca di Urbino. 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. Despite their many children, Catherine and Henry’s marriage never improved. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The French King Francis I attempted to bring Catherine to the French court as his kinswoman, but the pope blocked this, looking to an alliance with Spain. The Medicis were not longstanding French allies. 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. In 1530, Pope Clement VII summoned his niece to Rome. "Biography of Catherine de Medici, Renaissance Queen." The foundation of the civil wars in France was religion — more specifically, the question of how a Catholic country would handle a growing number of Huguenots (Protestants). Prahl, Amanda. Her history and arts writing has been featured on Slate, HowlRound, and BroadwayWorld., ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. "Biography of Catherine de Medici, Renaissance Queen." The newborn Catherine was cared for by her paternal grandmother, Alfonsina Orsini, and her cousin Giulio de Medici, who inherited the rule of Florence after Lorenzo’s death. 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. Prahl, Amanda. Poisoner, despot, necromancer - the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. Catherine de' Medici was, for example, present in Bar-le-Duc for the baptism of Claude's firstborn son Henry. Both of her parents died within weeks of her birth, leaving her an orphan. Expecting a vengeful Huguenot uprising, Charles IX ordered his forces to strike first, resulting in the bloody St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. It is essential to understand this in order to discern the coherence of her career. As a young woman, she witnessed at first hand the artistic flowering stimulated by his patronage. Following the wedding celebrations in August 1572, Huguenot leader Admiral Coligny was murdered. Catherine was born Florence, Italy on 13 April 1519. In fact, architects dedicated treatises to her with the knowledge that she would probably read them personally. Several suitors were considered, including James V of Scotland; Henry, Duke of Richmond (Henry VIII’s illegitimate son); and Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan. Although Francis II was deemed old enough to rule without a regent, Catherine was a crucial force in all his policies. Catherine de Medici was a woman of power, she is certainly the most well-known queen of French history. By the late 1580s, Catherine’s influence over her son Henry III was waning, and she became ill, her condition exacerbated by her despair over her son’s violence (including the murder of the Duke of Guise). This afforded the Calvinists licensed coexistence with specific safeguards. 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