Catherine de Medici consulted astrologers to obtain predictions about the future of her family and the nation, and to make political decisions based on these predictions.
During the Renaissance, astrology was super popular, almost as much as our Netflix series today. Almost everyone believed in it, from peasants to great nobles. This practice originated in antiquity, but it had exploded again thanks to the rediscovery of Greek and Arabic texts. At that time, astrology and astronomy were very closely linked: the sky was observed both to understand the universe and to guess what the stars predicted for kingdoms, wars, or epidemics. Many believed that the position of planets and stars directly influenced life on Earth, determining a person's character or predicting disasters. In short, astrology was not just a small superstition during the Renaissance; it was taken very seriously, especially among the elites and rulers.
Catherine de Médicis took astrology very seriously. From her Italian youth, her family was already immersed in these beliefs. She regularly consulted horoscopes before making major decisions. Her personal astrologer, Cosme Ruggieri, greatly influenced her daily and political life. She believed that the stars determined the character, fate, and success of the people around her. Whether it was to arrange her children's marriages or respond to threats against her power, Catherine often followed astrological advice. Certain periods, identified as particularly favorable by her astrologer, became pivotal for her. Conversely, Catherine could even postpone important actions to avoid dates deemed unlucky. In short, her astrological beliefs strongly influenced her personal and political decisions.
At the time, astrologers were almost as essential as political advisors. They were listened to seriously, and their predictions could directly influence royal choices. At court, some astrologers like Nostradamus had a true celebrity status. Their horoscopes and predictions became political weapons, arguments to defend or attack decisions made by those in power. Catherine de Medici, in particular, did not fail to consult them before deciding on important dates, such as those for royal weddings or military battles. These astrologers could even be employed to legitimize delicate or unpopular decisions by invoking "the fate of the stars."
Catherine de' Medici regularly relied on the stars to determine the best timing for highly significant events, such as the marriages of her children or royal travels. She consulted her astrologers particularly before battles, like the famous Battle of Saint-Quentin in 1557, to see if the stars were favorable for victory. She sometimes used astrology to choose the date of a coronation or a major ceremony, because at that time, the right position of the stars could reassure everyone about the future success of the event. For example, she even postponed some diplomatic meetings to align perfectly with the predictions of her favored astrologers like Nostradamus or Cosimo Ruggieri.
The Italian astrologer Cosimo Ruggieri, who was also a personal advisor to Catherine de Medici, is said to have predicted that she would see three of her sons become kings, a prediction that came true with Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III.
Superstition and astrological predictions had such a strong influence on Catherine de' Medici that she sometimes planned the dates of royal marriages or major political events based on the favorable alignment of the stars.
The astrological practices at the court of Catherine de Medici were of such importance that they boosted the popularity of astrological treatises, prompting some printers of the time to create and publish specialized collections aimed at the general public.
Catherine de' Medici had an astronomical tower specially built in her Parisian palace, the Hôtel de la Reine (now the Hôtel de Soissons), so that her astrologers would have an observatory and could make their predictions under better conditions.
During the Renaissance, astrologers were often influential and respected figures at court. Although their practice might be considered controversial by some, they were generally accepted and sought after by the most powerful as advisors.
Among the most renowned astrologers consulted by Catherine de' Medici were Nostradamus, Cosimo Ruggieri, and Luca Gaurico. These figures profoundly influenced her personal and political decisions.
Sure! Here’s the translation: "Yes, at that time, astrology was a common practice and taken very seriously by the nobility. Catherine de Medici sincerely believed that the celestial signs influenced individual destinies and the affairs of the kingdom."
Important choices such as royal marriages, declarations of war, and certain internal political decisions were influenced, at least in part, by the predictions of astrologers consulted by Catherine de' Medici.
Born from a time when astrology was an integral part of philosophical and political thought, Catherine de Médicis sought assurance and guidance in astrological predictions to navigate a often tumultuous and uncertain fate.
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