Catherine de Medici~Life before marriage
? Catherine de Medici~Life before marriage ?
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? With no shadow of a doubt, Catherine de Medici was one of the most influential ladies of her time – and not necessarily for the greatest reasons.
Born in Florence, Italy, Catherine de Medici went from a prisoner of war as a young child, to the “deadly queen” of France between 1547 and 1559.
? Catherine was born in April 1519 in FLorence, to Lorenzo de’ Medici and Madeleine de la Tour d’Auvergne.
Catherine was the first and only child of the young couple, who were ecstatic to welcome their daughter into their royal world.
? Sadly however, only a month after being born, both of Catherine’s parents became ill and died, leaving her an orphan.
Madeleine died on 28th April of puerperal fever, and Lorenzo died on 4 May.
For most of her childhood, the Medici heiress would live with different relatives, in several convents.
Relatives who mostly did their best to protect the young girl from the ever growing enemies of the Medici family.
? In 1527, the Medici power was threatened once more.
Pope Clement was overthrown by Cardinal Silvio Passerini, and the peaceful childhood that Catherine seemed to be having, came crashing down in a matter of days.
? Catherine was taken as a hostage by Passerini forces, and for years she was sent off to live by herself in a series of convents.
Just like that, she had to say goodbye to the comfortable and sheltered life she had, and was now a prisoner living in captivity.
? In 1529, Florence was completely surrounded by King Charles’ forces, which had dire consequences for the little duchess.
A few soldiers began feeling they should perhaps do something about Catherine, as a form of retaliation
Some soldiers apparently felt that her prisoner status was too comfortable and that chaining her, exposing her, or even killing her would be a much more effective response to the situation.
? Every day that passed, soldiers kept on giving more and more horrible suggestions of what to do with her, while she grew increasingly terrified of the situation she was in.
In 1530, when anti-Medici armies broke through the nunnery where the young duchess was being held hostage.
They debated whether the heiress, who was only 11-years-old at the time, should be killed there and then, or instead sent to a brothel.
This would mess up the Pope’s plans of marrying her to a potential royal suitor.
? Fortunately however, Florence ended up surrendering.
Catherine was taken to Rome and reunited with her uncle Pope Clement, who was thrilled to see her again.
While she was now safe, her adventurous life was about to take a turn, because her uncle was already looking for a husband for his little niece.
? Historical accounts often remark that Catherine wasn’t particularly the biggest royal beauty anyone had ever seen.
When she was younger, she was described as “small of stature, and thin, and without delicate features, but having the protruding eyes peculiar to the Medici family.”
Other observers mentioned that she was quite flat and undeveloped in her structure.
Completely ignoring the fact that this was a little girl they were talking about.
? Pope Clement did his thing, and looked across several neighboring countries for a potential suitor for his extremely young niece.
When Francis I, the King of France, offered a marriage between his second son with the young Catherine, the Pope was ecstatic.
While the king’s son wasn’t quite on the run to be king, at that point, the orphaned Catherine was almost considered a commoner.
? Quickly, the preparations for the wedding began taking place, and in October 1533, Catherine de Medici married Henry, Duke of Orleans.
The outrageously fancy ceremony took place at the Église Saint-Ferréol les Augustins in Marseille, and included every extravagant thing one can think of ~ exotic foods, crazy gifts, expensive utilities, and more.
? Both Catherine and Henry danced through the night, and seemed to click right away – some would say that this was a match made in heaven.
Of course, they would learn soon enough that that wasn’t the case.
The fourteen-year-old couple left their wedding ball at midnight, to perform their nuptial duties.
At the time, there was no way to know that Catherine would grow up to become the Serpent Queen in the French court, a decision that Francis I would regret for a long time to come…….