COMPARATIVE ITINERARIES OF CHARLES IX DE VALOIS AND CATHERINE DE MEDICIS IN 1561–1574

The article explores the history of the movements, and related military and political events and circumstances, of the French King Charles IX de Valois and his mother Catherine de Medicis in 1561–1574. It is mainly about the first stage of the Religious Wars in France, when there was a struggle between Catholics and Huguenots for the person of the king. Based on a comparative study of the autographs of Charles IX from the Russian archival and library collections, the author demonstrates that the prevailing point of view about the complete coincidence of the king and Queen mother’s itineraries and the related dependence of the king on the mother needs clarification. Starting in 1563, the time of his majority, Charles IX began to show personal and political independence in decision-making, as evidenced, among other things, by his itineraries, often different from Catherine’s ones. The subject of his correspondence ceased to coincide with his mother’s correspondence, and political intentions were often contrary to the opinion of Catherine de Medicis and her entourage, especially after 1566, the time of the completion of the «Grand Tour royale» in France. At the same time, an analysis of the King’s nine large itineraries shows that seven of them were organized and planned by his mother, and this undoubtedly indicates the key role played by Catherine de Medicis at the time, remaining the main actor of French politics.

istory of France, XVIth century, royal itineraries, Religious wars, Charles IX, Catherine de Medicis