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{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
| consort = yes
| consort = yes
| name = Christina of Lorraine
| name = Christina of Lorraine
| succession = [[List of Tuscan consorts|Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany]]
| succession = [[List of Tuscan consorts|Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany]]
| reign = 3 May 1589 – 17 February 1609
| reign = 3 May 1589 – 17 February 1609
| image = Christine de Lorraine 1588.jpg
| image = Christine de Lorraine 1588.jpg
| caption =
| caption = Portrait of Christine, 1588
| spouse = [[Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
| spouse = [[Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
| issue = [[Cosimo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]<br>[[Maria Maddalena de' Medici]]<br>[[Catherine de' Medici, Governor of Siena|Catherine, Governor of Siena]]<br>[[Carlo de' Medici (1595–1666)|Carlo de' Medici]]<br>[[Claudia de' Medici|Claudia, Archduchess of Austria]]
| issue = [[Cosimo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]<br>[[Maria Maddalena de' Medici]]<br>[[Catherine de' Medici, Governor of Siena|Catherine, Governor of Siena]]<br>[[Carlo de' Medici (1595–1666)|Carlo de' Medici]]<br>[[Claudia de' Medici|Claudia, Archduchess of Austria]]
| full name =
| full name =
| house = [[House of Lorraine]] (by birth) <br> [[House of Medici]] (by marriage)
| house = [[House of Lorraine]] (by birth) <br> [[House of Medici]] (by marriage)
Line 14: Line 14:
| birth_date = 16 August 1565
| birth_date = 16 August 1565
| birth_place = [[Ducal Palace of Nancy]], [[Duchy of Lorraine|Lorraine]]
| birth_place = [[Ducal Palace of Nancy]], [[Duchy of Lorraine|Lorraine]]
| birth_name = Christine de Lorraine
| death_date = {{death date and age|1637|12|19|1565|8|16|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1637|12|19|1565|8|16|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Palazzo Pitti]], [[Florence]], [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscany]]
| death_place = [[Palazzo Pitti]], [[Florence]], [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscany]]
Line 19: Line 20:
}}
}}


'''Christina of Lorraine''' or '''Christine de Lorraine''' (16 August 1565 – 19 December 1637) was a member of the [[House of Lorraine]] and was the [[Grand Duchess of Tuscany]] by marriage. She served as [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Regent of Tuscany]] jointly with her daughter-in-law during the minority of her grandson from 1621 to 1628.
'''Christina of Lorraine''' ({{lang-fr|Christine de Lorraine}}, {{lang-it|Cristina di Lorena}}) (16 August 1565 – 19 December 1637) was a French noblewoman of the [[House of Lorraine]] who became a [[Grand Duchess of Tuscany]] by marriage. She served as [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Regent of Tuscany]] jointly with her daughter-in-law during the minority of her grandson from 1621 to 1628.


==Princess of Lorraine==
==Princess of Lorraine==
Born '''Christine de Lorraine''' in [[Nancy, France|Nancy]], she was the daughter of [[Charles III, Duke of Lorraine|Charles III of Lorraine]] and his wife [[Claude of Valois]], and granddaughter of [[Catherine de' Medici]]. She was named after her paternal grandmother, [[Christina of Denmark]].
Born in [[Nancy, France|Nancy]], she was the daughter of [[Charles III, Duke of Lorraine|Charles III of Lorraine]] and his wife [[Claude of Valois]], and granddaughter of [[Catherine de' Medici]]. She was named after her paternal grandmother, [[Christina of Denmark]].


==Grand Duchess of Tuscany==
==Grand Duchess of Tuscany==
In 1584, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], hoped that Christina would marry her son [[James VI and I|James VI of Scotland]]. Mary thought that Christina, as her family relation, would be a useful ally to her. Mary wrote to [[Catherine de' Medici]], Queen of France, about this marriage plan, but nothing came of it.<ref>Alexander Courtney, ''James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603'' (Routledge, 2024), p. 105.</ref>
⚫
In 1587 [[Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany]] died without a legitimate male heir; his brother [[Ferdinand I of Tuscany|Ferdinando]] immediately declared himself the third [[Grand Duke of Tuscany]]. Seeking a marriage that would preserve his political independence, Ferdinando chose his distant cousin, Christine of Lorraine, the favourite granddaughter of [[Catherine de' Medici]], Queen of France. Catherine had influenced her towards this marriage, to re-align the Medici with France, not Spain.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}


⚫
In 1587 [[Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany]] died without a legitimate male heir; his brother [[Ferdinand I of Tuscany|Ferdinando]] immediately declared himself the third [[Grand Duke of Tuscany]]. Seeking a marriage that would preserve his political independence, Ferdinando chose his distant cousin, Christine of Lorraine, the favourite granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici. Catherine had influenced her towards this marriage, to re-align the Medici with France, not Spain.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}
⚫
The sumptuous and well-documented wedding festivities, celebrated in Florence in 1589, were designed to impress the royal houses of Europe. The wedding ceremony in Florence Cathedral was followed by outdoor events for the public, as well as banquets and balls, comedies and musical interludes, and a mock sea battle in the flooded courtyard of [[Palazzo Pitti]] for the aristocratic guests. PJ Mariette takes note of the various artists including [[Santi di Tito]], [[Gregorio Pagani]], [[Camillo Pagni]], and Giovanni Battista Paggi, who worked on the ephemeral decorations.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MxwGAAAAQAAJ Abecedario de P.J. Mariette: et autres notes inédites de cet amateur sur les Arts et les Artistes, Volume 4], by Pierre Jean Mariette, Philippe de Chennevières, Anatole de Montaiglon; Publisher: JB Dumoulin, Quai des Agustins #13, Paris; 1857-1858; pages 68-70.</ref> Altogether the wedding spectacles cost approximately fourteen million pounds in today’s currency. These lavish and innovative forms of entertainment proved to be more than showmanship. They greatly influenced theatrical practices in European courts throughout the 17th century.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}


⚫
The sumptuous and well-documented wedding festivities, celebrated in Florence in 1589, were designed to impress the royal houses of Europe. The wedding ceremony in Florence Cathedral was followed by outdoor events for the public, as well as banquets and balls, comedies and musical interludes, and a mock sea battle in the flooded courtyard of [[Palazzo Pitti]] for the aristocratic guests. PJ Mariette takes note of the various artists including [[Santi di Tito]], [[Gregorio Pagani]], [[Camillo Pagni]], and Giovanni Battista Paggi, who worked on the ephemeral decorations.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MxwGAAAAQAAJ Abecedario de P.J. Mariette: et autres notes inédites de cet amateur sur les Arts et les Artistes, Volume 4], by Pierre Jean Mariette, Philippe de Chennevières, Anatole de Montaiglon; Publisher: JB Dumoulin, Quai des Agustins #13, Paris; 1857-1858; pages 68-70.</ref> Altogether the wedding spectacles cost approximately fourteen million pounds in today's currency.{{when|date=August 2022|reason=Unclear when this estimate is from, so it may no longer be accurate}} These lavish and innovative forms of entertainment proved to be more than showmanship. They greatly influenced theatrical practices in European courts throughout the 17th century.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}
⚫
On 28 July 1603 she wrote to [[Anne of Denmark]] to congratulate her and [[James VI and I|King James]] coming to the [[Union of the Crowns|throne of England]]. The letter was brought to London by Count Alfonso Montecuccoli.<ref>''HMC Salisbury Hatfield'', vol. 15 (London, 1930), p. 213.</ref>

⚫
On 28 July 1603 she wrote to [[Anne of Denmark]] to congratulate her and King James coming to the [[Union of the Crowns|throne of England]]. The letter was brought to London by Count Alfonso [[Montecuccoli]].<ref>''HMC Salisbury Hatfield'', vol. 15 (London, 1930), p. 213.</ref>


== Grand Duke Cosimo II ==
== Grand Duke Cosimo II ==
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== Co-Regency of Tuscany==
== Co-Regency of Tuscany==
Her son Cosimo II died in February 1621, leaving his ten-year-old son [[Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Ferdinando II]] as grand duke. Christina and her daughter-in-law, [[Maria Maddalena of Austria]], acted as regents until the boy came of age. Their regency is known as the ''Tutrici''.<ref>Acton, p 111</ref> Little is known about the relationship of the two women, though they coexisted at court. Maria Maddalena took on the public political role by taking the seat in the ''primo luogo''. Christina took charge of engaging with the Florentine religious establishment.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|authors=Anne J. Cruz & Maria Galli Stampino|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=44}}</ref> Maria Maddalena assumed the title of archduchess.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence|author=Kelley Harness|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2006|isbn=9780226316598|pages=[https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/18 18]|url=https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/18}}</ref> Christina became known as the Dowager Grand Duchess, and sent Ferdinando II on a tour of Europe in 1627.<ref>Strathern, p 375</ref> Maria Maddalena died in November 1631, shortly after her son Ferdinando II had formally assumed the position of grand duke.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|authors=Anne J. Cruz & Maria Galli Stampino|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=44}}</ref>
Her son Cosimo II died in February 1621, leaving his ten-year-old son [[Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Ferdinando II]] as grand duke. Christina and her daughter-in-law, [[Maria Maddalena of Austria]], acted as regents until the boy came of age. Their regency is known as the ''Tutrici''.<ref>Acton, p 111</ref> Little is known about the relationship of the two women, though they coexisted at court. Maria Maddalena took on the public political role by taking the seat in the ''primo luogo''. Christina took charge of engaging with the Florentine religious establishment.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|author1=Anne J. Cruz |author2=Maria Galli Stampino |publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=44}}</ref> Maria Maddalena assumed the title of archduchess.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence|author=Kelley Harness|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2006|isbn=9780226316598|pages=[https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/18 18]|url=https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/18}}</ref> Christina became known as the Dowager Grand Duchess, and sent Ferdinando II on a tour of Europe in 1627.<ref>Strathern, p 375</ref> Maria Maddalena died in November 1631, shortly after her son Ferdinando II had formally assumed the position of grand duke.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|author1=Anne J. Cruz |author2=Maria Galli Stampino |publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=44}}</ref>


Maria Maddalena' brother was the Holy Roman Emperor [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand II]] and she supported his anti-Protestant politics. Together with her brother she supported the militant wing of the [[Jesuits]], with their [[Counter-Reformation]] ideology.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence|author=Kelley Harness|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2006|isbn=9780226316598|pages=[https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/19 19]|url=https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/19}}</ref> Contemporary sources did not pass judgement on the quality of the co-regency, but focused on detailing the daily going-on at court. The 18th Century historian [[Jacopo Riguccio Galluzzi]] remarked on the co-regency "everything started to decline from the moment of Cosimo II' death".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|authors=Anne J. Cruz & Maria Galli Stampino|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=44}}</ref> Galluzzi criticised that in the co-regency religious men were allowed to enter administrative ranks in the Tuscan government. Galluzzi also lamented that both women continued to influence Ferdinando II after he had come of age. [[Angelo Solerti]], an important source on the Florentine court lamented that "the [[Jesuits]] acted as if they were in charge".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|authors=Anne J. Cruz & Maria Galli Stampino|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=45}}</ref> The co-regents did abolish a century old law in 1623 to allow [[patricians]] to participate in the government of Florence. As a consequence patricians started to occupy positions in a range of institutions of the Medici government and in the civil service.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Florentine Patricians and Their Networks: Structures Behind the Cultural Success and the Political Representation of the Medici Court (1600-1660)
Maria Maddalena' brother was the Holy Roman Emperor [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand II]] and she supported his anti-Protestant politics. Together with her brother she supported the militant wing of the [[Jesuits]], with their [[Counter-Reformation]] ideology.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence|author=Kelley Harness|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2006|isbn=9780226316598|pages=[https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/19 19]|url=https://archive.org/details/echoesofwomensvo0000harn/page/19}}</ref> Contemporary sources did not pass judgement on the quality of the co-regency, but focused on detailing the daily going-on at court. The 18th Century historian [[Jacopo Riguccio Galluzzi]] remarked on the co-regency "everything started to decline from the moment of Cosimo II' death".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|author1=Anne J. Cruz |author2=Maria Galli Stampino |publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=44}}</ref> Galluzzi criticised that in the co-regency religious men were allowed to enter administrative ranks in the Tuscan government. Galluzzi also lamented that both women continued to influence Ferdinando II after he had come of age. [[Angelo Solerti]], an important source on the Florentine court lamented that "the [[Jesuits]] acted as if they were in charge".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities|author1=Anne J. Cruz |author2=Maria Galli Stampino |publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781317146926|pages=45}}</ref> The co-regents did abolish a century old law in 1623 to allow [[patricians]] to participate in the government of Florence. As a consequence patricians started to occupy positions in a range of institutions of the Medici government and in the civil service.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Florentine Patricians and Their Networks: Structures Behind the Cultural Success and the Political Representation of the Medici Court (1600-1660)
|author=Elisa Goudriaan|publisher=BRILL|year=2017|isbn=9789004353589|pages=20}}</ref> This move was intended to weaken the power of the Roman aristocrats in Florentine government. This strategy was continued by Ferdinando II.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Florentine Patricians and Their Networks: Structures Behind the Cultural Success and the Political Representation of the Medici Court (1600-1660)
|author=Elisa Goudriaan|publisher=BRILL|year=2017|isbn=9789004353589|pages=20}}</ref> This move was intended to weaken the power of the Roman aristocrats in Florentine government. This strategy was continued by Ferdinando II.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Florentine Patricians and Their Networks: Structures Behind the Cultural Success and the Political Representation of the Medici Court (1600-1660)
|author=Elisa Goudriaan|publisher=BRILL|year=2017|isbn=9789004353589|pages=21}}</ref>
|author=Elisa Goudriaan|publisher=BRILL|year=2017|isbn=9789004353589|pages=21}}</ref>
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==Patronage==
==Patronage==
===Science===
===Science===
Christina was chosen by Fernando as bride, not only because she was a devout Catholic, but also because she was intelligent and well educated. Christina had received a scholarly education due to the efforts of [[Catherine de Medici]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=43}}</ref> In 1605 she invited [[Galileo Galilei]] to tutor her son [[Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Cosimo II de' Medici]]. Among other Galilei taught Cosimo the use of the geometric and military [[compass]]. In 1608 Christina asked Galileo to attend Cosimo's wedding to [[Maria Maddalena of Austria]] <ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=84}}</ref> and in the same year asked him to cast a horoscope for her ill husband. Following the death of his father, Cosimo assumed the throne in February 1609, and Galileo applied for patronage at the Medici court.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=85}}</ref>
Christina was chosen by Fernando as bride, not only because she was a devout Catholic, but also because she was intelligent and well educated. Christina had received a scholarly education due to the efforts of [[Catherine de Medici]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=43}}</ref> In 1605, she invited [[Galileo Galilei]] to tutor her son [[Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany|Cosimo II de' Medici]]. Among other things, Galilei taught Cosimo the use of the geometric and military [[compass]]. In 1608 Christina asked Galileo to attend Cosimo's wedding to [[Maria Maddalena of Austria]]<ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=84}}</ref> and in the same year asked him to cast a horoscope for her ill husband. Following the death of his father, Cosimo assumed the throne in February 1609, and Galileo applied for patronage at the Medici court.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=85}}</ref>


Christina and the Medici Court also offered patronage to the philosopher [[Cosimo Boscaglia]]. When the court was in Pisa during winter, in December 1613, Galileo's former student [[Benedetto Castelli]] was invited to court. At a breakfast attended by Cosimo II, his wife, his mother Christina and Boscaglia the Medicean stars were discussed. These were the four moons of [[Jupiter]] Galileo had discovered and named after Cosimo II and his brothers. Boscaglia conceded that these moons were real, and not an illusion produced by the lens of the telescope. But Boscaglia argued that Galileo's interpretation of his discoveries was wrong, mainly because "the motion of the Earth seemed incredible and could not be true, all the more so since Holy Scripture was clearly against this opinion." Christina asked Castelli for his opinion on the matter, not as a mathematician but as a theologian. Castelli responded that with regards to the exact workings of nature, he gave precedence to natural philosophers, and that theologians should in the light of these findings determine the meaning of the Bible.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=113}}</ref> In the letter to Galileo, Castelli stated that Christina criticized heliocentrism, and Galileo did not like this. However, Christina's disagreement was prompted by Boscaglia rather than by her own thought.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thegalileotrial.blogspot.com/2013/05/grand-duchess-christina-of-lorraine.html|title=The Galileo Trial : Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany|last=Brecque|first=Teresa La|website=The Galileo Trial|access-date=2018-04-07}}</ref>
Christina and the Medici Court also offered patronage to the philosopher [[Cosimo Boscaglia]]. When the court was in Pisa during winter, in December 1613, Galileo's former student [[Benedetto Castelli]] was invited to court. At a breakfast attended by Cosimo II, his wife, his mother Christina and Boscaglia the Medicean stars were discussed. These were the four moons of [[Jupiter]] Galileo had discovered and named after Cosimo II and his brothers. Boscaglia conceded that these moons were real, and not an illusion produced by the lens of the telescope. But Boscaglia argued that Galileo's interpretation of his discoveries was wrong, mainly because "the motion of the Earth seemed incredible and could not be true, all the more so since Holy Scripture was clearly against this opinion." Christina asked Castelli for his opinion on the matter, not as a mathematician but as a theologian. Castelli responded that with regards to the exact workings of nature, he gave precedence to natural philosophers, and that theologians should in the light of these findings determine the meaning of the Bible.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Galileo|author=Mitch Stokes|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|year=2011|isbn=9781595550316|pages=113}}</ref> In the letter to Galileo, Castelli stated that Christina criticized heliocentrism, and Galileo did not like this. However, Christina's disagreement was prompted by Boscaglia rather than by her own thought.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thegalileotrial.blogspot.com/2013/05/grand-duchess-christina-of-lorraine.html|title=The Galileo Trial : Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany|last=Brecque|first=Teresa La|website=The Galileo Trial|access-date=2018-04-07}}</ref>
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|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. '''Princess Christina of Lorraine'''
|1= 1. '''Princess Christina of Lorraine'''
|2= 2. [[Charles III, Duke of Lorraine]]
|2= 2. [[Charles III, Duke of Lorraine]]
|3= 3. [[Claude of Valois|Princess Claude of France]]
|3= 3. [[Claude of Valois|Princess Claude of France]]
|4= 4. [[Francis I, Duke of Lorraine]]
|4= 4. [[Francis I, Duke of Lorraine]]
|5= 5. [[Princess]] [[Christina of Denmark]]
|5= 5. [[Christina of Denmark|Princess Christina of Denmark]]
|6= 6. [[Henry II of France]]
|6= 6. [[Henry II of France]]
|7= 7. [[Catherine de' Medici]]
|7= 7. [[Catherine de' Medici]]
Line 83: Line 85:
|9= 9. [[Renée of Bourbon|Renée de Bourbon]]
|9= 9. [[Renée of Bourbon|Renée de Bourbon]]
|10= 10. [[Christian II of Denmark]]
|10= 10. [[Christian II of Denmark]]
|11= 11. [[Archduchess]] [[Isabella of Austria]]
|11= 11. [[Isabella of Austria|Archduchess Isabella of Austria]]
|12= 12. [[Francis I of France]]
|12= 12. [[Francis I of France]]
|13= 13. [[Princess]] [[Claude of France]]
|13= 13. [[Claude of France|Princess Claude of France]]
|14= 14. [[Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino]]
|14= 14. [[Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino]]
|15= 15. [[Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne]]
|15= 15. [[Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne]]
|16= 16. [[René II, Duke of Lorraine]]
|17= 17. [[Philippa of Guelders]]
|18= 18. [[Gilbert, Count of Montpensier]]
|19= 19. [[Clara Gonzaga, Countess of Montpensier|Clara Gonzaga]]
|20= 20. [[John of Denmark]]
|21= 21. [[Princess]] [[Christina of Saxony]]
|22= 22. [[Philip I of Castile]]
|23= 23. [[Joanna of Castile|Joanna of Castile, ''the mad'']]
|24= 24. [[Charles, Count of Angoulême]]
|25= 25.[[Louise of Savoy|Princess Louise of Savoy]]
|26= 26. [[Louis XII of France]]
|27= 27. [[Anne of Brittany]]
|28= 28. [[Piero the Unfortunate]]
|29= 29. Alfonsina Orsini
|30= 30. [[John III, Count of Auvergne]]
|31= 31. [[Jeanne de Bourbon-Vendome|Jeanne de Bourbon]]
}}
}}

==Titles and styles==
*'''16 August 1565 &ndash; 3 May 1589''' ''Her Highness'' Christine of Lorraine
*'''3 May 1589 &ndash; 17 February 1609''' ''Her Highness'' The Grand Duchess of Tuscany
*'''17 February 1609 &ndash; 9 December 1637''' ''Her Highness'' The Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commonscat-inline|Christina of Lorraine}}
{{Commons category-inline|Christina of Lorraine}}


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
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|-
|-
{{s-vac|last=[[Bianca Cappello]]}}
{{s-vac|last=[[Bianca Cappello]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of consorts of Tuscany|Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany]]|years=1589-1609}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of consorts of Tuscany|Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany]]|years=1589–1609}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Archduchess Maria Maddalena of Austria|Maria Maddalena of Austria]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Archduchess Maria Maddalena of Austria|Maria Maddalena of Austria]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}
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{{Princesses of Lorraine}}
{{Princesses of Lorraine}}
{{Grand Duchesses of Tuscany}}
{{Grand Duchesses of Tuscany}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:1637 deaths]]
[[Category:1637 deaths]]
[[Category:House of Medici]]
[[Category:House of Medici]]
[[Category:People from Nancy, France]]
[[Category:Nobility from Nancy, France]]
[[Category:House of Lorraine]]
[[Category:French Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Princesses of Lorraine]]
[[Category:Princesses of Lorraine]]
[[Category:Grand Duchesses of Tuscany]]
[[Category:Grand Duchesses of Tuscany]]
[[Category:17th-century women rulers]]
[[Category:17th-century women regents]]
[[Category:Burials at San Lorenzo, Florence]]
[[Category:Burials at San Lorenzo, Florence]]
[[Category:French people of Breton descent]]
[[Category:French people of English descent]]
[[Category:French people of English descent]]
[[Category:French people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:French people of Italian descent]]
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[[Category:French people of Portuguese descent]]
[[Category:French people of Portuguese descent]]
[[Category:French people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:French people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:Regents of Tuscany]]
[[Category:Mothers of Italian monarchs]]
[[Category:17th-century regents]]

Revision as of 22:48, 16 July 2024

Christina of Lorraine
Portrait of Christine, 1588
Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany
Tenure3 May 1589 – 17 February 1609
BornChristine de Lorraine
16 August 1565
Ducal Palace of Nancy, Lorraine
Died19 December 1637(1637-12-19) (aged 72)
Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Tuscany
Burial
Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence
SpouseFerdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany
IssueCosimo II, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Maria Maddalena de' Medici
Catherine, Governor of Siena
Carlo de' Medici
Claudia, Archduchess of Austria
HouseHouse of Lorraine (by birth)
House of Medici (by marriage)
FatherCharles III, Duke of Lorraine
MotherClaude of Valois

Christina of Lorraine (French: Christine de Lorraine, Italian: Cristina di Lorena) (16 August 1565 – 19 December 1637) was a French 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 her grandson from 1621 to 1628.

Princess of Lorraine

Born in Nancy, she was the daughter of Charles III of Lorraine and his wife Claude of Valois, and granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Christina of Denmark.

Grand Duchess of Tuscany

In 1584, Mary, Queen of Scots, hoped that Christina would marry her son James VI of Scotland. Mary thought that Christina, as her family relation, would be a useful ally to her. Mary wrote to Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France, about this marriage plan, but nothing came of it.[1]

In 1587 Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany died without a legitimate male heir; his brother Ferdinando immediately declared himself the third Grand Duke of Tuscany. Seeking a marriage that would preserve his political independence, Ferdinando chose his distant cousin, Christine of Lorraine, the favourite granddaughter of Catherine de' Medici. Catherine had influenced her towards this marriage, to re-align the Medici with France, not Spain.[citation needed]

The sumptuous and well-documented wedding festivities, celebrated in Florence in 1589, were designed to impress the royal houses of Europe. The wedding ceremony in Florence Cathedral was followed by outdoor events for the public, as well as banquets and balls, comedies and musical interludes, and a mock sea battle in the flooded courtyard of Palazzo Pitti for the aristocratic guests. PJ Mariette takes note of the various artists including Santi di Tito, Gregorio Pagani, Camillo Pagni, and Giovanni Battista Paggi, who worked on the ephemeral decorations.[2] Altogether the wedding spectacles cost approximately fourteen million pounds in today's currency.[when?] These lavish and innovative forms of entertainment proved to be more than showmanship. They greatly influenced theatrical practices in European courts throughout the 17th century.[citation needed]

On 28 July 1603 she wrote to Anne of Denmark to congratulate her and King James coming to the throne of England. The letter was brought to London by Count Alfonso Montecuccoli.[3]

Grand Duke Cosimo II

Christina's husband died in early 1609, shortly after her son had wed. Grand Duke Cosimo II was only 19 when he assumed power, and Christina remained a dominant force at the court. In 1610 the Venetian ambassador Giacomo Vendramin wrote home: "the grand duchess wants thus to govern everything absolutely, without any thought to the reputation and the benefit of her son". Christina was keen to bolster the dynastic claim of the Medici, and commissioned a biography of the first grand duke and her father-in-law Cosimo I. She also commissioned engravings by Jacques Callot to showcase the life of her late husband Ferdinando I.[4]

Co-Regency of Tuscany

Her son Cosimo II died in February 1621, leaving his ten-year-old son Ferdinando II as grand duke. Christina and her daughter-in-law, Maria Maddalena of Austria, acted as regents until the boy came of age. Their regency is known as the Tutrici.[5] Little is known about the relationship of the two women, though they coexisted at court. Maria Maddalena took on the public political role by taking the seat in the primo luogo. Christina took charge of engaging with the Florentine religious establishment.[6] Maria Maddalena assumed the title of archduchess.[7] Christina became known as the Dowager Grand Duchess, and sent Ferdinando II on a tour of Europe in 1627.[8] Maria Maddalena died in November 1631, shortly after her son Ferdinando II had formally assumed the position of grand duke.[9]

Maria Maddalena' brother was the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II and she supported his anti-Protestant politics. Together with her brother she supported the militant wing of the Jesuits, with their Counter-Reformation ideology.[10] Contemporary sources did not pass judgement on the quality of the co-regency, but focused on detailing the daily going-on at court. The 18th Century historian Jacopo Riguccio Galluzzi remarked on the co-regency "everything started to decline from the moment of Cosimo II' death".[11] Galluzzi criticised that in the co-regency religious men were allowed to enter administrative ranks in the Tuscan government. Galluzzi also lamented that both women continued to influence Ferdinando II after he had come of age. Angelo Solerti, an important source on the Florentine court lamented that "the Jesuits acted as if they were in charge".[12] The co-regents did abolish a century old law in 1623 to allow patricians to participate in the government of Florence. As a consequence patricians started to occupy positions in a range of institutions of the Medici government and in the civil service.[13] This move was intended to weaken the power of the Roman aristocrats in Florentine government. This strategy was continued by Ferdinando II.[14]

Christina of Lorraine died at the Medici villa in Castello, aged 72, in December 1636.[15]

Patronage

Science

Christina was chosen by Fernando as bride, not only because she was a devout Catholic, but also because she was intelligent and well educated. Christina had received a scholarly education due to the efforts of Catherine de Medici.[16] In 1605, she invited Galileo Galilei to tutor her son Cosimo II de' Medici. Among other things, Galilei taught Cosimo the use of the geometric and military compass. In 1608 Christina asked Galileo to attend Cosimo's wedding to Maria Maddalena of Austria[17] and in the same year asked him to cast a horoscope for her ill husband. Following the death of his father, Cosimo assumed the throne in February 1609, and Galileo applied for patronage at the Medici court.[18]

Christina and the Medici Court also offered patronage to the philosopher Cosimo Boscaglia. When the court was in Pisa during winter, in December 1613, Galileo's former student Benedetto Castelli was invited to court. At a breakfast attended by Cosimo II, his wife, his mother Christina and Boscaglia the Medicean stars were discussed. These were the four moons of Jupiter Galileo had discovered and named after Cosimo II and his brothers. Boscaglia conceded that these moons were real, and not an illusion produced by the lens of the telescope. But Boscaglia argued that Galileo's interpretation of his discoveries was wrong, mainly because "the motion of the Earth seemed incredible and could not be true, all the more so since Holy Scripture was clearly against this opinion." Christina asked Castelli for his opinion on the matter, not as a mathematician but as a theologian. Castelli responded that with regards to the exact workings of nature, he gave precedence to natural philosophers, and that theologians should in the light of these findings determine the meaning of the Bible.[19] In the letter to Galileo, Castelli stated that Christina criticized heliocentrism, and Galileo did not like this. However, Christina's disagreement was prompted by Boscaglia rather than by her own thought.[20]

Galileo had been attacked in front of his paymasters, and after being warned by Castelli and an exchange of views with his former student, he drafted a response.[21] In his Letter to Grand Duchess Christina Galileo expounded on the relationship between science and revelation. He argued that the Scripture does not intend to teach natural philosophy, but conveys the message of salvation. Thus there was not need to reconcile the Bible with science, and that it would damage the authority of the Church in the unbelieving world if it was to make rash pronouncements about science.[22] This line of argument resembled Christina's own views on the matter,[23] and is in essence the position the Catholic Church takes today on questions of science.[24]

Female monasteries

Christina's reputation for piety stems from her patronage for Florentine religious institutions, particularly female monasteries. She became an active patron immediately after her marriage.[25] In 1592 she and her daughters were granted permission by Pope Clement VIII to enter Florentine convents during the day. Through her patronage the Monastero di Santa Croce (or La Crocetta) became the principal residence for unmarried Medici princesses. As a young women Christina had expressed the wish to finish her life in a convent, but she never withdrew from political affairs. Though she did build for herself a residence next to Crocetta, and spend less time at the Medici court in Pitti Palace. In 1627 she purchased a villa, renamed it La Quiete and had it decorated in iconographic style by Giovanni da San Giovanni.[26]

Issue

Ancestry

Notes

  1. ^ Alexander Courtney, James VI, Britannic Prince: King of Scots and Elizabeth's Heir, 1566–1603 (Routledge, 2024), p. 105.
  2. ^ Abecedario de P.J. Mariette: et autres notes inédites de cet amateur sur les Arts et les Artistes, Volume 4, by Pierre Jean Mariette, Philippe de Chennevières, Anatole de Montaiglon; Publisher: JB Dumoulin, Quai des Agustins #13, Paris; 1857-1858; pages 68-70.
  3. ^ HMC Salisbury Hatfield, vol. 15 (London, 1930), p. 213.
  4. ^ Kelley Harness (2006). Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence. University of Chicago Press. pp. 17. ISBN 9780226316598.
  5. ^ Acton, p 111
  6. ^ Anne J. Cruz; Maria Galli Stampino (2016). Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 9781317146926.
  7. ^ Kelley Harness (2006). Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence. University of Chicago Press. pp. 18. ISBN 9780226316598.
  8. ^ Strathern, p 375
  9. ^ Anne J. Cruz; Maria Galli Stampino (2016). Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 9781317146926.
  10. ^ Kelley Harness (2006). Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence. University of Chicago Press. pp. 19. ISBN 9780226316598.
  11. ^ Anne J. Cruz; Maria Galli Stampino (2016). Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 9781317146926.
  12. ^ Anne J. Cruz; Maria Galli Stampino (2016). Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, Dynastic Continuities. Routledge. p. 45. ISBN 9781317146926.
  13. ^ Elisa Goudriaan (2017). Florentine Patricians and Their Networks: Structures Behind the Cultural Success and the Political Representation of the Medici Court (1600-1660). BRILL. p. 20. ISBN 9789004353589.
  14. ^ Elisa Goudriaan (2017). Florentine Patricians and Their Networks: Structures Behind the Cultural Success and the Political Representation of the Medici Court (1600-1660). BRILL. p. 21. ISBN 9789004353589.
  15. ^ Kelley Harness (2006). Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence. University of Chicago Press. pp. 18. ISBN 9780226316598.
  16. ^ Mitch Stokes (2011). Galileo. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 43. ISBN 9781595550316.
  17. ^ Mitch Stokes (2011). Galileo. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 84. ISBN 9781595550316.
  18. ^ Mitch Stokes (2011). Galileo. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 85. ISBN 9781595550316.
  19. ^ Mitch Stokes (2011). Galileo. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 113. ISBN 9781595550316.
  20. ^ Brecque, Teresa La. "The Galileo Trial : Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany". The Galileo Trial. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  21. ^ Mitch Stokes (2011). Galileo. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 113. ISBN 9781595550316.
  22. ^ Mitch Stokes (2011). Galileo. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 126. ISBN 9781595550316.
  23. ^ Kelley Harness (2006). Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence. University of Chicago Press. pp. 18. ISBN 9780226316598.
  24. ^ Mitch Stokes (2011). Galileo. Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 126. ISBN 9781595550316.
  25. ^ Kelley Harness (2006). Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence. University of Chicago Press. pp. 17. ISBN 9780226316598.
  26. ^ Kelley Harness (2006). Echoes of Women's Voices: Music, Art, and Female Patronage in Early Modern Florence. University of Chicago Press. pp. 18. ISBN 9780226316598.

Media related to Christina of Lorraine at Wikimedia Commons

Christina of Lorraine
Born: 16 August 1565 Died: 19 December 1637
Italian royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Bianca Cappello 		Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany
1589–1609 		Succeeded by
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