She stood by her king with dignity even though she knew her husband kept a host of mistresses
Her story Catherine of Medici, queen of France from 1547 to 1559, did not have a happy ending. Catherine escaped the worst (murders, guillotines, poisonings, etc.), but she died of pleurisy at the age of 69, with her reputation irreparably damaged. Although a philologist, euzoist, lover of good food and characterized as a reformer of French cuisine, she went down in history as the “wicked queen Catherine”, moral author of the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew [η σφαγή χιλιάδων Γάλλων προτεσταντών (Ουγενότων) από τους καθολικούς στο Παρίσι, ανήμερα της γιορτής του Αγίου Βαρθολομαίου, στις 24 Αυγούστου 1572, διήρκεσε δύο ημέρες στην πρωτεύουσα και επεκτάθηκε στη συνέχεια και στην επαρχία]. Protestant writers depicted her as a scheming Italian woman who had killed all her enemies at once, modeled after the authoritarian Machiavellian ruler.
The short queen with the big mouth, bulging eyes and well-shaped hands was born in Florence and was the daughter of Lawrence de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino, and the French aristocrat Magdalene de la Tour. But she was orphaned in infancy by both her parents. 1533 was a landmark year for her. Just 14 years old at the time, she traveled to Marseilles to marry the Duke of Orléans, later Henry II of France, wearing improvised stilettos.
Marriage of convenience – the power in the union of France and Italy. She stood by her king with dignity, intelligent and noble, even though she knew that her husband kept a multitude of mistresses. From his death onwards, she refused to take off the black, and since then her shield has been adorned by a broken lance with the Latin inscription “Lacrymae hinc, hinc dolor” (From this my tears and sorrow).
Ethics author of cassoulet, macaron, ice cream
Crossing the Alps on a non-return ticket, Catherine, as a mediator between Italian and French cultures, was followed by a brigade of Italian cooks of the refined school of Renaissance cooking, who taught their French colleagues the art of refining food and sophisticated art de la table. From this apprenticeship, some claim, classical French cuisine was developed, which was brought to its peak by the brilliant chef Antonin Careme (1784-1833). Catherine’s Italian cooks/followers are the ones who brought with them recipes and local products. They enriched French cuisine with sophisticated ingredients such as broccoli, artichokes, rooster liver, beef brains, sweetbreads, truffles, and with preparations such as jellies, quenelles, and crepinettes, upgrading the rustic cooking of their French counterparts, who at the time were struggling with large, raw cuts of meat, such as legs of lamb and beef, whole piglets, pullets and game, which were roasted and served with peas and beans.
Catherine de Medici is also “credited” with perfecting the famous cassoulet, as she is said to have brought the beans to Languedoc in southwestern France.
As for the Florentine pastry chefs, unprecedented in their genre at the time, they are the ones who grafted traditional French pastry with jams, jellies, macaroons, pains d’epices, marron glace, nougat, frangipane, zabagione and truffles, culminating in the infamous Italian executioner.
The “art of the table” of the Medici
Within a few years, Florentine recipes were introduced to the palace, impressing the royal family’s receptions. Catherine herself established the use of the fork, which in Europe at that time was considered a sophisticated habit. Silver forks, with carved handles and four pointed prongs. Tables were laid with gilded tablecloths, guests drank fine French wines from carved Venetian crystal glasses, and meals were served on elegant earthenware and enamel plates. During her days, good manners and comme il faut behavior at the table were codified, as well as refined service with first course, second course and side dishes, cheeses then and finally desserts and fruit, all paired with the wine that matched it.
This love of good food and luxury was misunderstood by many who attributed it to dark motives, believing that it corrupted the French aristocracy.
France-Italy: draw
Tons of ink has been spilled around Catherine and her contribution to shaping French cuisine. Are they finally myths or truths? Several scholars, based on historical evidence, have dismissed many of the charming—but untrue—stories as exaggerated. And the French, who guard their precious culinary culture with too much pride, underline the importance of Catherine. Obviously the truth lies somewhere in the middle. France-Italy are two bordering countries. The influences and interaction between them is therefore an indisputable fact which is demonstrated by their similarities and differences: from ice creams and gelati, macarons and ricciarelli to French puffs and puffs, Italian and French meringue. However, the controversial Catherine of Medici, who after the death of her husband lived in her beloved tower of Senances, manages to ignite confrontations and controversies centuries after her death.
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