A Passion for the Arts: The Secret Side of Catherine de Medici - Guest Post by C W Gortner

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History has painted Catherine de Medici as a perennial black widow who wreaked havoc on France, a reptilian being without glamour. We forget that in fact she was once a pretty girl— thin, with the Medici’s slightly protuberant eyes and thick auburn hair. Though never described as a beauty, she had spirit. More importantly, she was a product of the Italian Renaissance, a well-educated princess who brought with her to France the seeds of a cultural heritage that continues to flourish today.

An avid patron of the arts, Catherine re-modeled the Louvre to house her collection and protect the paintings acquired by her father-in-law, Francois I, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Catherine also had a keen eye for portraiture—a direct reflection of her Renaissance upbringing, in which the individual assumed center stage. During her time as regent, artists created astonishing images of the most important people of the court, including Catherine’s own children, allowing us centuries later to bask in their near-photographic likenesses.

7 of Catherine & Henri's 10 children

Source: wikipedia.org

Architecture was another lifelong passion of Catherine’s; her chateau at Chenonceau is one of the most beautiful palaces in France. Another of her projects is the impressive tomb she had built for herself and her husband in the Abbey of St Denis, though sadly it sits empty since the plunder of the Revolution.

Perhaps most fascinating are the smaller contributions she made: Catherine is believed to have imported the first artichokes to France, as well as the first example of the modernized side-saddle. She was also the first documented user of female undergarments in France — which, if true, indicates that before she arrived, the ladies went commando under their gowns. It makes one wonder just how Catherine went about introducing the benefits of underpants to her companions!

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. To find out more about The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, as well as special features about me and my work, please visit: http://www.cwgortner.com/

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Thanks so much for the informative guest post Christopher, as always it is an absolute pleasure to have you visit my blog. Your new novel and your blog post inspired me to do some extra reading about Catherine & her pivotal role in this period in history & the introduction of undergarments for women :-)

Tomorrow, don't miss my review of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and an awesome international giveaway thanks to C W Gortner!!