Caterina de' Medici (2 May 159317 April 1629) was a Tuscan noblewoman of the

Medici family The House of Medici ( , ; ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first half of the 15th ...

. She became Duchess of Mantua and

Montferrat Montferrat ( , ; ; , ; ) is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Province of Alessandria, Alessandria and Province of Asti, Asti. 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 Christina of Lorraine (, ) (16 August 1565 – 19 December 1637) was a noblewoman of the House of Lorraine who became a Grand Duchess of Tuscany by marriage. She served as Regent of Tuscany jointly with her daughter-in-law during the minority of ...

Biography

The second daughter and third child of Grand Duke Ferdinando I and his wife, Christina of

Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...

, Caterina, named after the eponymous Queen of France (who was also her great-grandmother) was born in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

on 2 May 1593. Caterina was considered as a potential spouse to

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, (19 February 1594 – 6 November 1612), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King James VI and I and Anne of Denmark, Queen Anne. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley; and Fr ...

, heir to the three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, but his Anglican religion presented an insurmountable barrier. Eventually, she married in 1617 Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat; the marriage, however, was childless. Upon being made a widow in 1626, she returned to Tuscany. Her nephew,

Grand Duke Ferdinando II Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. Remembered by his contemporaries as a man of culture and sci ...

, created her Governess of Siena in 1627, where she died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

two years later.Young, p 530 In later life, Caterina garnered a reputation for intense piety.Young, p 387 Historian Colonel G.F. Young asserts that she bore a striking resemblance to her brother Cosimo II and sister Claudia. She was interred in the Medicean necropolis, the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

Ancestors

References

Sources

* *Young, G.F.: ''The Medici: Volume II'', John Murray, London, 1920 , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Medici, Caterina De, Governor Of Siena

Catherine Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...

Duchesses of Mantua Duchesses of Montferrat Tuscan princesses Tuscan nobility 1593 births 1629 deaths Governors of Siena Deaths from smallpox Burials at San Lorenzo, Florence 17th-century women regents 17th-century regents Daughters of dukes