Catherine de' Medici

June 1, 2024

Italian Renaissance scholar Hollingsworth's (Conclave 1559) biography of Catherine de' Medici (1519-89) portrays her as one of the most influential people of her time. She was the queen consort of King Henri II of France and the mother of three kings and two queens, but she too had real power, in an era when most women had little influence. The book indicates, however, that she was perceived to be a vicious and corrupt leader. For example, she plotted the 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of French Huguenots (Protestants) by Catholics, a civil war that lasted two months and killed thousands. Hollingsworth expertly details Catherine's background and upbringing. Her parents, the duke and duchess of Urbino, died--her mother from a fever, her father from wounds and complications from other diseases--within a month of her birth, so guardians raised her. She and Henry had been married for 14 years when he inherited the crown in 1547, at which point she became queen of France. After Henry's death in 1559, she became an influential regent. This title also chronicles her contributions to the arts and includes bibliographical references and family trees. VERDICT An intriguing, highly recommended look at a powerful queen and her life.--Lucy Heckman

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June 1, 2024
Having written many erudite works about Renaissance notables and art, Hollingsworth (Princes of the Renaissance, 2021) examines Catherine de' Medici, the sixteenth-century French queen who dutifully obeyed her unfaithful husband, Henri II, then exercised power during her 30-year widowhood alongside or on behalf of three less capable sons. This myth-dispelling account delves into primary sources, including Catherine's letters, to uncover a woman who had blind spots but continually promoted tolerance and compromise during the era's religious conflicts, supported the arts, and was a bit of a fashionista. Hollingsworth also challenges Catherine's image as an Italian foreigner, as Catherine had strong French ties thanks to her mother, a French royal cousin. The occasionally dense prose clearly describes a dizzying array of political alliances, rivalries, and persecutions, and, thanks to her thorough research, Hollingsworth frequently documents Catherine's whereabouts throughout her life. Regarding Catherine's alleged complicity in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, when thousands of Protestants died at Catholics' hands, Hollingsworth separates truth from rumor and lays out facts with the tension of a courtroom drama. An admirable scholarly portrait.

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May 15, 2024
Powerful women were a striking feature of 16th-century Europe, and this evocative biography paints a vivid portrait of a prime example. Hollingsworth, a scholar of the Italian Renaissance and author of The Family Medici and The Borgias, emphasizes that Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589) was born a significant figure as the only legitimate child of Lorenzo II, ruler of Florence. Her uncle was pope, and other Medicis were cardinals, generals, and political figures in the many duchies, republics, and fiefdoms that made up Italy. The author skillfully keeps track of a huge cast of characters as she describes Catherine's odyssey. Married to French king Francis I's second son, Henry II, she left Italy and led a life of royal luxury until the first son and then Francis died; after her husband died, she became queen from 1547 until 1559. With three young sons who eventually succeeded their father, Catherine was thrust into the limelight as regent and remained a formidable presence for the next 30 years. The reformation was well underway in 1559, but within a few years, France descended into a barbaric civil war that lasted until the century's end. During its course, many French leaders urged toleration between Catholics and Protestants, but leaders who proclaimed that compromise was for weak-willed individuals found a more eager audience. Catherine was a compromiser, hated by extremists on both sides, and in the chaos of the following decades, there was no risk in blaming her for the unspeakable atrocities that occurred regularly. With diversions into her generous patronage of the arts and architecture, Hollingsworth concentrates on dynastic politics and France's gruesome religious war. Months before the murder of her third son, Henry III, she died. Her son-in-law became king and ultimately ended the war. A widely vilified queen receives a well-researched, mostly admiring biography.

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