Editing Catherine de' Medici (section)

==Birth and upbringing==
[[File:El papa Clemente VII, por Sebastiano del Piombo.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, [[Pope Clement&nbsp;VII]], by [[Sebastiano del Piombo]], c.1531. Clement called Catherine's betrothal to [[Henry II of France|Henry of Orléans]] "the greatest match in the world".]]
Catherine de' Medici was born Caterina Maria Romula de' Medici<ref>Frieda, Leonie, ''Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France'', p. 14 ("the baby received the names Caterina, a Medici family name, Maria, since it was the day of the Holy Virgin, and Romula, after the founder of Fiesole").</ref> on 13 April 1519 in [[Florence]], [[Republic of Florence]], the only child of [[Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino]], and his wife, [[Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne]], the countess of Boulogne. The young couple had been married the year before at [[Amboise]] as part of the alliance between King [[Francis&nbsp;I of France]] and Lorenzo's uncle [[Pope Leo&nbsp;X]] against the Holy Roman Emperor [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian&nbsp;I]]. According to a contemporary chronicler, when Catherine was born, her parents were "as pleased as if it had been a boy".

Within a month of Catherine's birth, both her parents were dead: Madeleine died on 28 April of [[puerperal fever]], and Lorenzo died on 4 May.<ref>Knecht 1998, p. 8 (dates of death); Héritier 1963, p. 15 (cause of Madeleine's death).</ref> King Francis wanted Catherine to be raised at the French court, but Pope Leo refused, claiming he wanted her to marry [[Ippolito de' Medici]].<ref name ="kviii">Knecht, ''Catherine de' Medici'', 8.</ref> Leo made Catherine Duchess of Urbino but annexed most of the [[Duchy of Urbino]] to the [[Papal States]], permitting Florence to keep only the [[Fortress of San Leo]]. It was only after Leo's death in 1521, that his successor, [[Adrian&nbsp;VI]], restored the duchy to its rightful owner, [[Francesco Maria I della Rovere]].<ref>Frieda 2003, p. 22 (New York edition).</ref>

Catherine was first cared for by her paternal grandmother, [[Alfonsina Orsini]]. After Alfonsina's death in 1520, Catherine joined her cousins and was raised by her aunt, [[Clarice de' Medici]]. The death of Pope Leo in 1521 briefly interrupted Medici power until Cardinal Giulio de' Medici was elected [[Pope Clement&nbsp;VII]] in 1523. Clement housed Catherine in the [[Palazzo Medici Riccardi]] in Florence, where she lived in state. The Florentine people called her ''duchessina'' ("the little duchess"), in deference to her unrecognised claim to the Duchy of Urbino.<ref>Young, ''The Medici: Volume II'', 15.</ref>

In 1527, the Medici were overthrown in Florence by a faction opposed to the regime of Clement's representative, Cardinal [[Silvio Passerini]], and Catherine was taken hostage and placed in a series of convents.<ref>Knecht, ''Catherine de' Medici'', p. 11.</ref> The final one, the {{lang|it|Santissima Annuziata delle Murate}} was her home for three years. Mark Strage described these years as "the happiest of her entire life".<ref name="strage13">Strage, pp. 13, 15</ref> Clement had no choice but to crown [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles of Austria]] as Holy Roman Emperor in return for his help in retaking the city.<ref>Knecht, ''Catherine de' Medici'', 10–11.</ref> In October 1529, Charles's troops laid [[siege of Florence (1529–1530)|siege to Florence]]. As the siege dragged on, voices called for Catherine to be killed and exposed naked and chained to the city walls. Some even suggested that she be handed over to the troops to be raped.<ref name="strage15">Strage, p.15</ref> The city finally surrendered on 12 August 1530. Clement summoned Catherine from her beloved convent to join him in Rome where he greeted her with open arms and tears in his eyes. Then he set about the business of finding her a husband.<ref name= "kxii">Knecht, ''Catherine de' Medici'', 12.</ref>