"Marie-Catherine Gondi Marie Catherine Gondi, née ""de Pierrevive"", dame du Perron and dame d'Armentières (circa 1500 – 1570), was a French court official, a trusted favorite and confidant of the queen regent of France, Catherine de Medici, Governess to the Children of France (1550–1559) and ""Dame"" to Mary Stuart (1559–1560). Marie Catherine Gondi was the daughter of a Nicolas de Pierrevive, a rich tax-farmer in Lyon, and Jeanne de Turin. Her family was of Italian origin and active within banking in Lyon. In 1516, she married the Florentine banker Antoine (Antonio or Guidobaldo) Gondi (1486–1560), who had emigrated to France"
"Louise Élisabeth of France Marie Louise Élisabeth of France (Marie Louise Élisabeth; 14 August 1727 – 6 December 1759) was a French princess, the eldest daughter of King Louis XV of France and his Queen consort, Maria Leszczyńska, and the elder twin of Anne Henriette de France. She married Infante Philip, younger son of Philip V of Spain, who inherited the Duchy of Parma from his mother in 1748, thereby founding the House of Bourbon-Parma. In secondary sources she is referred to also as ""Louise Élisabeth of France"". She functioned as the de facto ruler of the Duchy of Parma"
"Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal (24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, Germany, Italy, Naples and Sicily and Duchess of Burgundy by her marriage to Emperor Charles V, and regent of Spain during the absences of her husband during 1529-1532, 1535-1536 and 1538-1539. Isabella was the granddaughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Throughout her life, many compared her to her grandmother for her character and her determination in politics. A woman of great beauty and intelligence, Isabella was undoubtedly the Spanish soul of"
"Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal (24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, Germany, Italy, Naples and Sicily and Duchess of Burgundy by her marriage to Emperor Charles V, and regent of Spain during the absences of her husband during 1529-1532, 1535-1536 and 1538-1539. Isabella was the granddaughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Throughout her life, many compared her to her grandmother for her character and her determination in politics. A woman of great beauty and intelligence, Isabella was undoubtedly the Spanish soul of"
"in documents as Simonetta da Collevecchio. The French author Jean Nestor, writing in the 1560s, reported that the claim of a Moorish slave origin was a false rumor first spread by Alessandro's exiled enemies in Naples. When Emperor Charles V sacked Rome in 1527, a faction of Florentines took advantage of the turmoil in Italy to reinstall the Florentine Republic. Both Alessandro and Ippolito de' Medici fled, along with most of the Medici and their main supporters, including Cardinal Silvio Passerini, (the regent for young Alessandro and Ippolito, and de facto ruler of Florence for Pope Clement VII). Eight-year-old Catherine"
"Constance of Sicily (regent) Constance of Sicily (1324 – 22 October 1355) regent of Sicily in the name of her brother, King Louis. She was the daughter of king King Peter II and his wife, Elisabeth of Carinthia. In 1352, she succeeded her mother as regent during the minority of her brother. Her regency was marked by conflicts between noble fractions was well as the black plague. In 1355, Louis died of the black death, shortly followed by her. She died unmarried. Her position as regent of Sicily was taken over by her sister Euphemia, who kept it until 1357."
"Constance of Sicily (regent) Constance of Sicily (1324 – 22 October 1355) regent of Sicily in the name of her brother, King Louis. She was the daughter of king King Peter II and his wife, Elisabeth of Carinthia. In 1352, she succeeded her mother as regent during the minority of her brother. Her regency was marked by conflicts between noble fractions was well as the black plague. In 1355, Louis died of the black death, shortly followed by her. She died unmarried. Her position as regent of Sicily was taken over by her sister Euphemia, who kept it until 1357."
"Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, ruled Scotland as regent from 1554 until her death. A noblewoman from the Lotharingian House of Guise, which played a prominent role in 16th-century French politics, Mary became queen consort upon her marriage to King James V of Scotland in 1538. Her infant daughter, Mary, ascended the throne when James died in 1542. Mary of Guise's main goal as regent was a close alliance between the powerful French Catholic nation and smaller Scotland, which she wanted to be Catholic and independent"
"Louise of Savoy Louise of Savoy (11 September 1476 – 22 September 1531) was a French noble and regent, Duchess ""suo jure"" of Auvergne and Bourbon, Duchess of Nemours, and the mother of King Francis I. She was politically active and served as the Regent of France in 1515, in 1525–1526 and in 1529. Louise of Savoy was born at Pont-d'Ain, the eldest daughter of Philip II, Duke of Savoy and his first wife, Margaret of Bourbon. Her brother, Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, succeeded her father as ruler of the duchy and head of the House of Savoy. He"
"before Villa di Castello; King Francis I had commissioned Tribolo to make a statue for a garden fountain he built for his chateau at Fontainbleau, but the popularity of Italian gardens greatly increased after Cosimo built Villa di Castello. The first grotto in France was built at Fontainbleau in 1541. The Italian garden style was promoted with great energy by two relations of Cosimo: Catherine de'Medici (1519-1589), the wife of King Henry II of France, and Marie De'Medici (1575-1642), the wife of King Henry IV of France. After Catherine became Regent in 1560, she began to build a new palace"
"an end to the second Italian war between the head of the Valois dynasty, Francis I of France, and the head of the Habsburg dynasty, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The Treaty temporarily confirmed Habsburg hegemony in Italy. The treaty was signed by Louise of Savoy for France and her sister-in-law, Margaret of Austria, for the Holy Roman Empire. Louise of Savoy died on 22 September 1531, in Grez-sur-Loing. Her remains were entombed at Saint-Denis in Paris. After her death her lands, including Auvergne, merged in the crown. Through her daughter Margaret of Angoulême and her granddaughter Jeanne d'Albret, she"
"Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine Isabella (1400 – 28 February 1453) was suo jure Duchess of Lorraine, from 25 January 1431 to her death in 1453. She was also Queen of Naples by marriage to René of Anjou. Isabella ruled the Kingdom of Naples and her husband's domains in France as regent during his imprisonment in Burgundy in 1435-1438. Isabella was the eldest daughter of Charles II, Duke of Lorraine and Margaret of the Palatinate. By the death of her brothers, it was made apparent in 1410 that she would be the successor of her father in Lorraine. She was given"
"Christine of France Christine Marie of France (10 February 1606 – 27 December 1663) was the sister of Louis XIII and the Duchess of Savoy by marriage. At the death of her husband Victor Amadeus I in 1637, she acted as regent of Savoy between 1637 and 1648. Christine was born in the Palais du Louvre in Paris, she was the third child and second daughter of King Henry IV of France and his second wife, the Italian Marie de' Medici. As a daughter of the king, she was a Fille de France. She was a younger sister of Louis"
"Margherita of Savoy Margherita of Savoy (""Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna""; 20 November 1851 – 4 January 1926) was the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy by marriage to Umberto I. Margherita was born to Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Genoa and Princess Elisabeth of Saxony. Her father died in 1855, and her mother remarried morganatically to Major Nicholas Rapallo. She was educated by countess Clelia Monticelli di Casalrosso and her Austrian governess Rosa Arbesser. Reportedly, she was given a more advanced education than most princesses at the time, and displayed a great deal of intellectual curiosity. As a person, she"
"Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici (, ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici. Following the assassination of her husband in 1610, which occurred the day after her coronation, she acted as regent for her son, King Louis XIII of France, until 1617, when he came of age. She was noted for her ceaseless political intrigues at the French court and extensive artistic patronage. She was born as"
"Catherine de' Medici, Governor of Siena Caterina de' Medici (2 May 159317 April 1629) was Duchess of Mantua and Montferrat as the second wife of Duke Ferdinando and Governor of Siena from 1627. She was the second daughter of Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany and his wife Christina of Lorraine. The second daughter and third child of Grand Duke Ferdinando I and Christina of Lorraine, Caterina, named after the eponymous Queen of France, was born in Florence on 2 May 1593. Caterina was considered as a potential spouse to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, heir to the three Kingdoms"
"Filippa Duci Filippa Duci (French - ""Philippa Desducs""; 1520, Moncalieri, Piedmont - before October 1586, near Tours), dame de Couy, was a French (originally Italian) courtier. Her father was Gian Antonio Duci. During the Italian Wars in 1537, the French dauphin Henry (later Henry II of France) stayed with a squire, Filippa's brother. Henry was seduced by Filippa on first sight, and she became his mistress, giving birth to their daughter Diane de France in Paris in 1538. This proved that Henry was not sterile; he had been married to Catherine de Médicis, yet had still not produced an heir"
"regent for her grandchild, the infant King Sebastian. Mediation by Charles V resolved the issue in favour of his sister Catherine over his daughter Joan, who was needed in Spain in the absence of Philip II. She then served as the regent of Portugal from 1557 until 1562. In 1562, she turned over the regency to Henry of Portugal. Catherine had one of the earliest and finest Chinese porcelain collections in Europe due to her position as both the youngest sister of Emperor Charles V and the Queen of Portugal. ""She acquired quantities of porcelain and exotica from Asia, which"
"future Henry II of France, claiming that such an important Medici heir should marry within Italy. Jacopo died in 1533. Lucrezia outlived him by twenty years. Lucrezia's exact death date is unknown, but it is estimated that she died between 10 and 15 November 1553. She was 83 years old. In 1520, Pope Leo X asked her to help support convents in Florence. She paid for a significant expansion of the convent of San Giorgio, funding new dormitories, cloisters, and workshops. She built other chapels in 1530 in Rome. She and Giovanni later worked together to pay for a chapel"
"Anne of France Anne of France (or Anne de Beaujeu; 3 April 146114 November 1522) was a French princess and regent, the eldest daughter of Louis XI by Charlotte of Savoy. Anne was the sister of Charles VIII, for whom she acted as regent during his minority from 1483 until 1491. During the regency she was one of the most powerful women of late fifteenth-century Europe, and was referred to as ""Madame la Grande"". Between 1503 and 1521, she also acted as de facto regent of the Duchy of Bourbon during the reign of her daughter Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon."
"build palaces and clear the many pre-existing debts of Henry IV. Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici (, ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici. Following the assassination of her husband in 1610, which occurred the day after her coronation, she acted as regent for her son, King Louis XIII of France, until 1617, when he came of age. She was noted for her ceaseless political intrigues at"
"and named it Margherita Peak in her honour. In 2011, some of the Queen's jewellery was auctioned at Christies. Margherita of Savoy Margherita of Savoy (""Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna""; 20 November 1851 – 4 January 1926) was the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy by marriage to Umberto I. Margherita was born to Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Genoa and Princess Elisabeth of Saxony. Her father died in 1855, and her mother remarried morganatically to Major Nicholas Rapallo. She was educated by countess Clelia Monticelli di Casalrosso and her Austrian governess Rosa Arbesser. Reportedly, she was given a more advanced"
"Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of France Elisabeth of Austria (5 July 1554 – 22 January 1592) was Queen of France from 1570 to 1574 as the wife of King Charles IX. A member of the House of Habsburg, she was the daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria of Spain. Elisabeth was the fifth child and second daughter of her parents' sixteen children, of whom eight survived infancy. During her childhood, she lived with her older sister Anna and younger brother Matthias in a pavilion in the gardens of the newly built Stallburg, part of the Hofburg Palace"
"French Renaissance literature French Renaissance literature is, for the purpose of this article, literature written in French (Middle French) from the French invasion of Italy in 1494 to 1600, or roughly the period from the reign of Charles VIII of France to the ascension of Henry IV of France to the throne. The reigns of Francis I (from 1515 to 1547) and his son Henry II (from 1547 to 1559) are generally considered the apex of the French Renaissance. After Henry II's unfortunate death in a joust, the country was ruled by his widow Catherine de' Medici and her sons"
"of San Lorenzo. Catherine de' Medici, Governor of Siena Caterina de' Medici (2 May 159317 April 1629) was Duchess of Mantua and Montferrat as the second wife of Duke Ferdinando and Governor of Siena from 1627. She was the second daughter of Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany and his wife Christina of Lorraine. The second daughter and third child of Grand Duke Ferdinando I and Christina of Lorraine, Caterina, named after the eponymous Queen of France, was born in Florence on 2 May 1593. Caterina was considered as a potential spouse to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, heir to"
"the Catholic French widow of James V, was appointed Regent in place of the Earl of Arran, who had been made Duke of Châtellerault by Henry II of France. Guise continued the pro-French policy, appointing Frenchmen to key positions. In September 1559 she continued to improve the fortification at Leith with works which were probably designed by Lorenzo Pomarelli, an Italian architect and military engineer. Meanwhile, the Protestant Scots became increasingly restless, particularly after the marriage of Mary and François in 1558. A group of noblemen, styling themselves the Lords of the Congregation, had appointed themselves leaders of the anti-French,"
"Bona of Savoy Bona of Savoy, Duchess of Milan (10 August 1449 – 23 November 1503) was Duchess consort of Milan as the second spouse of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan. She served as regent of Milan during the minority of her son 1476–1481. Born in Avigliana, Turin, Bona was a daughter of Louis, Duke of Savoy and Anne de Lusignan of Cyprus. She was one of nineteen children. Her many siblings included: Amadeus IX of Savoy, Philip II, Duke of Savoy, Louis of Savoy, Count of Geneva, Marguerite of Savoy and Charlotte of Savoy, who married King Louis"
"Renaissance. Bona of Savoy Bona of Savoy, Duchess of Milan (10 August 1449 – 23 November 1503) was Duchess consort of Milan as the second spouse of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan. She served as regent of Milan during the minority of her son 1476–1481. Born in Avigliana, Turin, Bona was a daughter of Louis, Duke of Savoy and Anne de Lusignan of Cyprus. She was one of nineteen children. Her many siblings included: Amadeus IX of Savoy, Philip II, Duke of Savoy, Louis of Savoy, Count of Geneva, Marguerite of Savoy and Charlotte of Savoy, who married King"
"Agnes of Poitou Agnes of Poitou, also called Agnes of Aquitaine or Empress Agnes ( – 14 December 1077), a member of the House of Poitiers, was German queen from 1043 and Holy Roman Empress from 1046 until 1056. From 1056 to 1061 she acted as regent of the Holy Roman Empire during the minority of her son Henry IV. She was the daughter of the Ramnulfid duke William V of Aquitaine (d. 1030) and Agnes of Burgundy. She thereby was the sister of Duke William VI of Aquitaine, Duke Odo of Gascony, Duke William VII, and Duke William VIII"
"Caroline Bonaparte Maria Annunziata Carolina Murat (French: ""Marie Annonciade Caroline Murat""; ""née"" Bonaparte; 25 March 1782 – 18 May 1839), better known as Caroline Bonaparte, was the seventh surviving child and third surviving daughter of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino, and a younger sister of Napoleon I of France. She was queen of Naples during the reign of her spouse there, and regent of Naples during his absence four times: in 1812-13, 1813, 1814 and 1815. Caroline was born in Ajaccio, Corsica. She was a younger sister of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoléon Bonaparte, Lucien Bonaparte, Elisa Bonaparte, Louis Bonaparte and Pauline"
"Elisabeth of France (1602–1644) Elisabeth of France (22 November 1602 – 6 October 1644) was Queen consort of Spain (1621 to 1644) and Portugal (1621 to 1640) as the first spouse of King Philip IV of Spain. She served as regent of Spain during the Catalan Revolt in 1640-42 and 1643-44. She was the eldest daughter of King Henry IV of France and his second spouse Marie de' Medici. Élisabeth, ""Madame Royale"", was born at the Château de Fontainebleau on 22 November 1602; reportedly her mother showed a cruel indifference to her, because she blindly believed the prophecy of a"
"Eleanor of Toledo Eleanor of Toledo (Italian: ""Eleonora di Toledo"" (1522 – 17 December 1562), born Doña Leonor Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio, was a Spanish noblewoman who was Duchess of Florence from 1539, after Margaret of Austria. Although Eleanor is often referred to as the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, she predeceased the creation of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. She is credited with being the first modern first lady, or consort. She served as regent of Florence during the absence of her spouse. Eleanor was born in Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, as the second daughter of the Viceroy of"
"Emperor Rudolf II. Her wedding ring was given to another brother Ernest. Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of France Elisabeth of Austria (5 July 1554 – 22 January 1592) was Queen of France from 1570 to 1574 as the wife of King Charles IX. A member of the House of Habsburg, she was the daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria of Spain. Elisabeth was the fifth child and second daughter of her parents' sixteen children, of whom eight survived infancy. During her childhood, she lived with her older sister Anna and younger brother Matthias in a pavilion in"