Catherine de’ Medici: The Life and Times of the Serpent Queen

Italian Renaissance scholar Hollingsworth’s (Conclave 1559) biography of Catherine de’ Medici (1519–89) portrays her as one of the most influential people of her time. She was the queen consort of King Henri II of France and the mother of three kings and two queens, but she too had real power, in an era when most women had little influence. The book indicates, however, that she was perceived to be a vicious and corrupt leader. For example, she plotted the 1572 St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of French Huguenots (Protestants) by Catholics, a civil war that lasted two months and killed thousands. Hollingsworth expertly details Catherine’s background and upbringing. Her parents, the duke and duchess of Urbino, died—her mother from a fever, her father from wounds and complications from other diseases—within a month of her birth, so guardians raised her. She and Henry had been married for 14 years when he inherited the crown in 1547, at which point she became queen of France. After Henry’s death in 1559, she became an influential regent. This title also chronicles her contributions to the arts and includes bibliographical references and family trees.