Italian Greens from Italian Queens: Difference between revisions

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So Bona was a girl from a prominent Italian family who was married off to the king of a powerful state north of the Alps, where she is remembered, on one hand, as a ruthless, power-hungry woman, and on the other, as someone who enriched the cuisine of her adopted homeland with Italian flair. If all of this sounds familiar, but you can't put your finger on it, then let me help: you're probably thinking of Catherine de' Medici.

Catherine (Caterina de’ Medici) was born in Florence one year after Bona had ~~ascended to the Polish throne~~. Just as the Sforzas ruled Milan, so the Medici – originally a family of modest merchants – had already held sway over Florence for more than three hundred years. She was barely a month old when she was orphaned, so her upbringing fell to her uncles. First, she came under the protective wing of Giovanni de’ Medici, better known as Pope Leo X. Following his death, custody of Catherine passed to Giulio de’ Medici, or Pope Clement VII.

Catherine (Caterina de’ Medici) was born in Florence one year after Bona had become Queen of Poland. Just as the Sforzas ruled Milan, so the Medici – originally a family of modest merchants – had already held sway over Florence for more than three hundred years. She was barely a month old when she was orphaned, so her upbringing fell to her uncles. First, she came under the protective wing of Giovanni de’ Medici, better known as Pope Leo X. Following his death, custody of Catherine passed to Giulio de’ Medici, or Pope Clement VII.

By that time, the Habsburgs had seized control of Naples and Spain (along with its colonial empire). France found itself surrounded by Habsburg holdings from all sides, which escalated the Italian Wars into an open confrontation between the Habsburgs and the Valois. Among those who sided with the latter were the Papal States. In order to cement this Papal-French alliance, Clement VII arranged for the fourteen-year-old Catherine to wed the French dauphin Henry. Fourteen years later, in 1547, Henry inherited the French crown upon his brother’s death – becoming the second king of his name – with Catherine as his queen consort.

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 So Bona was a girl from a prominent Italian family who was married off to the king of a powerful state north of the Alps, where she is remembered, on one hand, as a ruthless, power-hungry woman, and on the other, as someone who enriched the cuisine of her adopted homeland with Italian flair. If all of this sounds familiar, but you can't put your finger on it, then let me help: you're probably thinking of Catherine de' Medici.
-Catherine (Caterina de’ Medici) was born in Florence one year after Bona had ascended to the Polish throne. Just as the Sforzas ruled Milan, so the Medici – originally a family of modest merchants – had already held sway over Florence for more than three hundred years. She was barely a month old when she was orphaned, so her upbringing fell to her uncles. First, she came under the protective wing of Giovanni de’ Medici, better known as Pope Leo X. Following his death, custody of Catherine passed to Giulio de’ Medici, or Pope Clement VII.
+Catherine (Caterina de’ Medici) was born in Florence one year after Bona had become Queen of Poland. Just as the Sforzas ruled Milan, so the Medici – originally a family of modest merchants – had already held sway over Florence for more than three hundred years. She was barely a month old when she was orphaned, so her upbringing fell to her uncles. First, she came under the protective wing of Giovanni de’ Medici, better known as Pope Leo X. Following his death, custody of Catherine passed to Giulio de’ Medici, or Pope Clement VII.
 By that time, the Habsburgs had seized control of Naples and Spain (along with its colonial empire). France found itself surrounded by Habsburg holdings from all sides, which escalated the Italian Wars into an open confrontation between the Habsburgs and the Valois. Among those who sided with the latter were the Papal States. In order to cement this Papal-French alliance, Clement VII arranged for the fourteen-year-old Catherine to wed the French dauphin Henry. Fourteen years later, in 1547, Henry inherited the French crown upon his brother’s death – becoming the second king of his name – with Catherine as his queen consort.