Issue No. 21

de Medici
519-1589
beautiful chateau you never heard of it, it is
an incredible jewel of the Renaissance and
contains Diane’s bed and several
belongings, including a love letter from the
King, her hand mirror and all sorts of
fabulous objects.
Read more about Chateau d’Anet here.
Catherine de Medici’s 30 year rule through
her sons was at a time of turbulence,
tarnished by the bloody turmoil of religious
wars. It’s claimed that she would despatch
teams of beautiful young women to calm
down aggressive noblemen and to find out
their secrets. The 1572 St Bartholomew
massacre of thousands of Protestants
happened on her watch. The infamous
assassination of the Duke de Guise, leader
of the Catholic League took place at the
Chateau de Blois in 1588 while she lie sick
in bed. She died a year later, aged 69, and
was buried first at Blois before being reinterred
at the Basilica of Saint-Denis with
the husband she had loved.
During her time she became an influential
patron of the arts, making a significant
contribution to the French Renaissance for
three decades. She spent vast amounts of
money on monuments and chateaux,
employed Italian artists and architects,
patronised French artists and became a
renowned collector. She was famous for her
lavish parties, known as “magnificences” as
well as championing the theatrical arts,
ballet and opera.
VIVA LEONARDO DA VINCI
Viva Leonardo da Vinci, celebrating 500
years of the French Renaissance in the
Loire Valley, sees around 500 events
taking place all over the region. In this rich
programme of arts and culture, the French
Renaissance lives on…
For further inspiration visit:
www.loirevalley-france.co.uk; www.france.fr