Catherine de' Medici: Power, Poison, and the Price of Survival

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Catherine de' Medici rose from Florentine orphan to Queen of France and queen mother, navigating dynastic ambition, court intrigue, and the violent religious wars of the 16th century.

The episode traces her marriages, political maneuvers, efforts at conciliation, the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, and her cultural patronage — asking whether she deserves the reputation of the "Black Queen" or recognition as a devoted, pragmatic stateswoman.