Caterina de Medici

The Queen, The Muse, Caterina de Medici

Caterina, daughter of a merchant had a difficult start to her life. Orphaned, captured in her early years, she was married to Henri II, who was then not in line for the throne, by her uncle Pope Clement VII.

Caterina managed to impress the courts with her wits and intelligence in the first years of her marriage. She also became a huge influence on French culture. She is accredited for introducing perfume, the corset, underwear, and cutlery to the French court, amongst many other inventions. What makes us relate most to Caterina, however, is her love of food. In fact, unsatisfied with the French cuisine, she brought Tuscan pastry chefs and cooks for her parties and brought Italian goods, including olive oil to French tables.

As influential as she was it wasn’t until the death of her husband King Henri II, that her power would come to a full force. As Queen mother, to not one, not two, but THREE of France’s Kings, Caterina was virtually sovereign for the most part of 30 years after late husband.While she played the game of thrones well, her time on the throne saw many wars and conflicts, particularly the Wars of Religion. This resulted in many deaths and led to nicknames like “the Serpent Queen”. Yet, in a time where most in Europe believed in “one true faith”, Caterina experimented with both religious pluralism and balance of power politics.

Caterina, with her multidimensionality and appreciation of the finer things, is the perfect muse for Yolioo.