Catherine seems to have finally ended the religious civil war, a lasting peace that would be sealed with the marriage of her glamorous daughter Margot and the Protestant great hope Henri de Bourbon. But no one saw the storm that was coming... Check out pictures, bibliographies, and more at http://www.medicipodcast.com. Support the podcast on Patreon ..read more

The war between Catholics and Protestants in France finally erupts in earnest. Catherine travels across France with Charles IX to try to calm the volcano, but her own patience with the increasingly desperate Protestants is wearing thin ..read more

Catherine de' Medici takes the reins under the novel title of Governess of France. Just as she assumes power, a crisis that will overshadow the rest of her life begins to take shape.  ..read more

Catherine de' Medici's chronically ill son is now King François II of France. Rather than getting to enjoy the perks of being a king's mother, she finds herself caught having to deal with not only the growing tensions between Catholic and Huguenot, but the feud between two powerful families, the Guises and the Bourbons. (Note that I'm going on hiatus until late January. Also, apologies for the sound issue where there's an occasional noise outside my voice. I think I identified the cause and I should have it resolved by the time I return from my January hiatus!). Check out pictures, bibliograph ..read more

Now queen of France, Catherine de' Medici is forced to form a somewhat unorthodox household with her husband Henri Diane de Poitiers. Meanwhile religious persecution and violence have been growing, and Henri prepares to once again face his and his father's nemesis, Emperor Charles V.  Check out pictures, bibliographies, and more at http://www.medicipodcast.com. Support the podcast on Patreon ..read more

Far from a fairly tale life, to secure her future Catherine de' Medici must overcome snobbery at the royal court, anti-Italian racism, escalating religious and political tensions, her husband's bizarre love for his own surrogate mother Diane de Poitiers, and even her own body's seeming inability to get pregnant with an heir to the French throne.  Check out pictures, bibliographies, and more at http://www.medicipodcast.com. Support the podcast on Patreon ..read more

Catherine de' Medici has just married into the monarchy of France, arguably the oldest surviving Catholic Christian monarchy in Europe. So it's a good time to ask the question that would shape Catherine's life: how was it that a monarchy that barred women and their children from the crown also had a long history of powerful women guiding it?  Check out pictures, bibliographies, and more at http://www.medicipodcast.com. Support the podcast on Patreon ..read more

From the start of her life, the orphaned Catherine's life was marred by politics. First, she was destined to be a figurehead for her great-uncle's territorial ambitions. Then she was a hostage blamed for the crimes of her family, and next a pawn on the royal marriage market. No one could have guessed that the future had grander things in store for her than just a marriage to some prince... Check out pictures, bibliographies, and more at http://www.medicipodcast.com. Support the podcast on Patreon ..read more

Duke Alessandro de' Medici enters a deadly contest with his cousin, Cardinal Ippolito. The real threat, however, may be closer to home. Check out pictures, bibliographies, and more at http://www.medicipodcast.com. Support the podcast on Patreon  ..read more

For our 50th episode, I give an overview of how the Medici went from being just one of several powerful banking families to joining the ranks of European royalty and high nobility. Check out pictures, bibliographies, and more at http://www.medicipodcast.com. Support the podcast on Patreon  ..read more