Planner
~ Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo de' Medici~
~Victoria Walker~
Information
-Born in Florence, 1519
-Became an orphan at a very young age
-Was very highly educated and used
high position to fill her library with rare
manuscripts
-Marriage was arranged in 1533 by her
uncle, the Pope of the time
-Unable to produce children for first ten
years of marriage
-Became Queen Regent for son who
became king of France at age of ten
-Died January 1589 at age of seventy
-Roman Catholic
-major force in French politics
(especially during thirty years of Roman
Catholic-Huguenots wars)
-dominated son (king) in 1563
-Roman Catholic, but when trying to
create balance with religions sometimes
agreed with Huguenots (created policy
of peace between Catholics and
Protestants)
-had three of sons be made kings
-married daughter to King of Spain in
1560 to create connections
-Great interest in architecture shown in
building of new wing of Louvre
Museum, Tuilleries Gardens and
Chateau Monceau
-great patron of the arts, helping
Renaissance flourish
-two of sons inherit throne in their
teens, so real power lies in Catherine
-Became regent with second son,
Charles IX
Topic
Overview of life
Bibliography
Brianne and Jessica.
Renaissance Woman. March 7,
2010. Web. March 7, 2010.
<http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/scho
ols/projects/renaissance/renais
sancewomen.html>.
Accomplishments/
Impact
Brianne and Jessica.
Renaissance Woman. March 7,
2010. Web. March 7, 2010.
<http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/sch
ools/projects/renaissance/ren
aissancewomen.html>.
Power over sons
(kings) as Queen
Regent
“History of France.” History
World. Web. March 7, 2010.
<http://www.historyworld.net
/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.as
-Francis II (first son) married to Mary,
Queen of Scotts, whose mother is
Guise, but Francis died in 1560, taking
power from the Guises
-instigator of the St. Bartholomew's Day Things she did/
Massacre
children (marriage)
-daughter of Florentine ruler Lorenzo
de' Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent)
-married the duc d'Orléans, who
became king of France in 1547 as Henry
II
-1560 she arranged for her daughter,
Elizabeth of Valois, to become the third
wife of the powerful Roman Catholic
king of Spain, Philip II.
-married other daughter (Margaret of
Valois) to the Protestant king Henry of
Navarre, who later became Henry IV,
king of France.
-“Later in 1572 she found the growing
Huguenot influence over her son
Charles, the French king, frightening;
accordingly, she instigated the plot to
assassinate the Protestant leader
Coligny that led to his death and the
deaths of an estimated 50,000 other
Huguenots in the St. Bartholomew's Day
Massacre (1572).”
-“After the death of Charles in 1574 and
the accession to the throne of her third
son as Henry III, Catherine's power
declined.
-died in Blois, France, on January 5,
1589
-Library containing many valuable
manuscripts was renowned through
Renaissance France
-daughter of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino
and Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne
-parents death left her the sole heiress
to all of the possessions and holdings of
the Medici family
-left with no close relations to care for
p?gtrack=pthc&ParagraphID=h
xn#hxn>.
“Catherine de Medicis.”
Distinguished Woman of Past
and Present. 1995. Web.
March 8, 2010.
<http://www.distinguishedwo
men.com/biographies/medicic.html>.
Case, Brandon and Tait Tricia.
Catherine d' Medici,
Queen of France. April 9, 2003.
Web. March 8, 2010.
<http://departments.kings.edu
/womens_history/cathymedici
her
-father's distant relative, Cardinal Guilio
de' Medici, came to Florence to take
control of the Florentine government
and to care for the young Catherine
-1527 (eight years old) Medici palace of
Florence was attacked by angry mob
-relatives fled, but were ordered to
leave Catherine as a hostage
.html>.
Bibliography
Brianne and Jessica. Renaissance Woman. March 7, 2010. Web. March 7, 2010.
<http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/renaissance/renaissancewomen.html>.
Case, Brandon and Tait Tricia. Catherine d' Medici,
Queen of France. April 9, 2003. Web. March 8, 2010.
<http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/cathymedici.html>.
“Catherine de Medicis.” Distinguished Woman of Past and Present. 1995. Web. March 8, 2010.
<http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/medici-c.html>.
“History of France.” History World. Web. March 7, 2010.
<http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?gtrack=pthc&ParagraphID=hxn#
hxn>.
King Henry II of
France
Other Person
Friend, enemy, sibling,
family…
Connection…
How does my
person know this
person?
Catherine and Henry were husband and
wife. She was ignored and unappreciated by
him for most of their marriage which lasted
from when they were fourteen until his
death. He never allowed her all the proper
political rights of a queen. Despite his
nonchalance for her, Catherine was
supposedly deeply in love with her husband.
Catherine di’
Medici
Connection…
Other Person
Diane was the favorite mistress and one of
the largest influences of King Henry the
second. He hung a picture of her by his bed
and insisted on carrying her hankerchief
during a joist rather than Catherine’s.
Catherine had a strong dislike of the woman
because of this, and, after Henry’s accidental
death, had her sent away from court.
Diane de Poitiers