Catarina de Medici

Lorenzo de Medici had not meant to have an affair with the beautiful Lucrezia Donati, or at least this is what he told his family. It was not his fault he had meant her before his wife nor was it his fault that the marriage he held was arranged. He could not help loving someone. Or as his family called it, lusting over someone.

Yet not all of the blame was Lorenzo’s for Lucrezia herself was also partly to blame. She was very ambitious, soft spoken, kind and very willing to do whatever it was that Lorenzo asked of her. And though he loved his wife dearly, it was thought that perhaps he loved Lucrezia Donati just a bit more.

Lorenzo did try and break off the affair with Lucrezia many times. But each time, their affairs just grew more and more intense and as a result a child was born. The baby girl was brought to Lorenzo because Lucrezia’s husband denied that he was the father. He would not raise a bastard child.

And so, Catarina de Medici was born and brought to the house of Lorenzo de Medici.

In 1477 Lucrezia Donati’s beautiful little girl was brought into the Medici household by her father Lorenzo de Medici because Lucrezia’s husband refused to raise the bastard baby girl alongside his other children. Even though Lorenzo asked his pious and religious wife to raise the child as her own, she refused. Thus, the baby was brought up underneath Lorenzo’s loving, caring and watchful eye.

Catarina, quickly became a loving, caring, beautiful, bright child, outshining her half brothers and sister in nearly everything she did. However because she was considered a bastard child, her accomplishments where never recognized by anyone other than her father. And as a result, Catarina only had eyes for her father.

She spent every waking with moment with him as a child. Catarina could always be found inside his study, reading his books, or learning alongside the millions of artist and scholars who come through the doors. She was energetic and ambitious. When she got older, Catarina quickly learned that the way to get a position in the world was by using her God giving gifts as beautiful young woman and taking after her mother, had numerous affairs.

However, when her father died, Catarina’s world was turned upside down, as suddenly her older brother became heir of everything her father owned. Including herself of which Catarina absolutely loathed. And Clarice, Lorenzo’s wife, hated Catarina even more than she did as did the rest of the family.

It wasn’t long after her father’s death that Catarina began to silently plot her revenge on the family that hated her. She would run away on her half sister’s wedding day and seek the help of the Pope. Rather living with him than her own family.