Character Catalog

Catherine commissioned this grand Parisian palace from Philibert Delorme and later Jean Bullant. It was one of the most ambitious architectural projects of the French Renaissance.

A two-story gallery spanning the Cher river, added to the existing château. This architectural masterpiece became the iconic image of Chenonceau.

Catherine organized sumptuous festivities blending music, dance, and theater to impress ambassadors and ease tensions. These spectacles are considered the forerunners of the court ballet.

Catherine left over 6,000 preserved letters, constituting a major historical source. They bear witness to her ceaseless diplomatic activity and political vision.

An astronomical column erected near the Hôtel de Soissons in Paris. It is said to have served as an observatory for Catherine's astrological consultations.

Catherine was the driving force behind several pacification edicts attempting to achieve coexistence between Catholics and Protestants. This policy of compromise, innovative for the era, foreshadowed the Edict of Nantes of 1598.

My principal aim has always been to preserve the authority of the king my son and to maintain peace in this kingdom, for without peace there is no kingdom.

We have by our edict permitted those of the so-called Reformed Religion to live and dwell throughout all the towns and places of this kingdom without being sought out, harassed, or molested.

The queen my mother, who feared unrest and had a marvelous dexterity in managing minds, worked ceaselessly toward the reconciliation of the great lords of the kingdom.

This woman has always known how to dissemble and conceal her designs beneath the veil of piety and public peace, while fanning divisions the better to rule.

Catherine had the great gallery built over the Cher river and organized sumptuous festivities there. She obtained the château in exchange for Chaumont after the death of Henry II, taking it back from Diane de Poitiers.

Catherine commissioned the construction of this palace in 1564 from the architect Philibert Delorme. It was intended to be her main Parisian residence, connected to the Louvre by a long gallery.

Catherine resided there frequently and died there on January 5, 1589. It was also there that Henry III had the Duke of Guise assassinated a few days before his mother's death.

Catherine's birthplace in 1519, in the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. She spent her early years there before being placed in various Florentine convents during the political upheavals.

Royal residence where several edicts of pacification were signed during the Wars of Religion. Catherine conducted important negotiations there between the Catholic and Protestant factions.

Catherine owned precious Venetian mirrors, rare luxury objects at the time. They adorned her apartments and symbolized the Italian refinement she had brought to the French court.

Catherine collected rare and precious objects in a personal cabinet. It housed antique medals, precious stones, and manuscripts, reflecting her taste for the arts and sciences.

An astronomical instrument that Catherine consulted with her astrologers. Her passion for astrology was well known and sometimes influenced her political decisions.

Catherine owned several richly decorated Books of Hours, used for daily prayer. These works reflected her Catholic piety and her appreciation for the art of the book.

Catherine is said to have helped popularize the folding fan in France, imported from Italy. This accessory became an essential element of elegance at court.

As regent, Catherine used seals to authenticate royal acts. They bore her arms combining the fleurs-de-lis of France and the Medici coat of arms.