Christine von Lothringen

Christiane, also known as Christine of Lorraine, was born on 16 August 1565 in Bar-le-Duc. She was the second daughter of Duke Charles III of Lorraine and his wife, Claude of Valois, a daughter of the French king Henry II and Catherine de’ Medici. Her original name, “Chrestienne,” was given in honor of her godmother and grandmother, Christina of Denmark. During her lifetime, however, the Latin form “Christiana” and later “Cristina” increasingly came into use. This evolution of her name reflected not only her adaptation to her Italian surroundings but also her growing identification with Saint Christina of Bolsena. When Christiane was ten years old, her mother died in 1575 as a result of a difficult childbirth. Christiane was then raised by her grandmother Catherine de’ Medici at the French court in Paris. The two developed a close relationship of trust, and Catherine had a lasting influence on her granddaughter. When Christiane reached marriageable age, several possible husbands were considered. They included François-Hercule de Valois, one of Catherine’s sons, Vincenzo I Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy. A marriage to the Scottish king James VI was also discussed at the French court. King Henry III additionally wanted to marry her to his favorite, Jean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette, Duke of Épernon, but Catherine firmly opposed the plan. It was later even claimed that Catherine had suggested to Henry of Navarre that he have his marriage to her daughter Margaret annulled in order to make a marriage with Christiane possible. After lengthy negotiations conducted by Catherine de’ Medici together with Orazio Rucellai, the decision was finally made in favor of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The marriage contract was drawn up on 24 October 1588 and, following Catherine’s death, was signed retroactively on 20 February 1589. Christiane received an exceptionally large dowry of 200,000 gold écus, as well as all of her grandmother’s Florentine properties. Catherine had also named her principal heir in her will. As a result, Christiane inherited movable goods and works of art worth around two million livres, including the famous Valois tapestries, which she brought to the Medici court in Florence. The wedding by proxy took place on 8 December 1588 in the Saint-Calais Chapel at the Château de Blois. Her journey to Italy was delayed by fighting during the French Wars of Religion and by Catherine’s death in January 1589. Christiane finally set out in March. She traveled from Blois through Lyon, Avignon, and Aix-en-Provence to Marseille, where she boarded a Florentine ship on 11 April. Via Monaco and Genoa, she reached Livorno. After a brief stay in Pisa, she met her husband in person for the first time at Poggio a Caiano on 28 April. Two days later, she entered Florence amid great public enthusiasm. Before the city gates, she had been officially crowned in an elaborate ceremony. The wedding was celebrated with festivities lasting several weeks. The program included banquets, triumphal processions, tournaments, public entertainments, and numerous theatrical performances. The works performed included the comedy “La Pellegrina” by Girolamo Bargagli and “La pazzia di Isabella,” a piece from the commedia dell’arte. An ancient naval battle was even staged in the courtyard of the Palazzo Pitti. Particularly important were the musical and dramatic interludes performed between the acts of “La Pellegrina,” which are now regarded as major milestones in theater and stage technology. As grand duchess, Christiane initially had only limited influence on her husband’s political decisions. Over time, however, Ferdinando I increasingly sought her involvement. Christiane supported Tuscany’s pro-French policy. The marriage of Maria de’ Medici, a niece of Ferdinando I, to the French king Henry IV was also connected with this policy. Christiane accompanied Maria de’ Medici as far as Marseille. After Ferdinando I’s death in 1609, Christiane gained considerable influence over the government. Her son Cosimo II ascended the throne but, because of his poor health, was scarcely able to rule personally. During this period, Christiane emerged as an important political figure. In 1615, Galileo Galilei, Cosimo’s former tutor, dedicated one of his four Copernican Letters to her. When Cosimo II died in 1621, Christiane and his wife, Maria Magdalena of Austria, were appointed regents for Christiane’s underage grandson, Ferdinando II. The two women governed the grand duchy until 1628, when Ferdinando II assumed power himself. Christiane was deeply religious and supported the founding and endowment of numerous convents. Among her important foundations were the Monastero della Pace in Florence and a convent in Pisa. For her religious commitment, she received the Golden Rose twice: in 1589 from Pope Sixtus V and in 1593 from Pope Clement VIII. In her will, drawn up in 1630, she also stipulated that her savings should be used as dowries for poor girls. Her devotion to Saint Christina of Bolsena was expressed, among other ways, through the donation of a statue to Pisa Cathedral and the collection of relics. During the final decade of her life, a Florentine church was also named in her honor, “Santi Agostino e Cristina.” For a long time, Christiane’s regency was judged unfortunate and largely unsuccessful. She was held partly responsible for the grand duchy’s later decline, and critics accused her of extravagant luxury and mismanagement. This assessment, which had been widespread since the eighteenth century and was shaped by a misogynistic outlook, has been revised by recent research. Christiane died on 19 December 1636, at the age of 71, at the Villa Medici in Castello near Florence. Her marriage to Ferdinando I produced nine children, including Cosimo II, her eventual successor, Cardinal Carlo, and Claudia, whose marriages to the Prince of Urbino and an archduke of Austria created European dynastic connections.