Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France, wife of King Henry II of France (1519-1589). Letter signed ("Caterine").

Paris, 18. VII. 1576.

Folio. ½ p. With ms. address.

 4.500,00

To the banker and courtier Horatio Rucellai (ca. 1530-1605), expressing her wish that he return to Paris as quickly as possible and pleading him "not to believe a thing of what has been told" to him, should he have "heard that his assignations of the debt of Lyon have been altered", underlining that the King has no intention of changing anything: "Je vous prie vous en venir le plustost et dilligemmens q[ue] vous pourriez. Et pour ce q[ue] vous pourriez avoir entendu que l’on ayt changé quelque chose en vos assignations sur la creance de Lyon Je vous prie n’en croire rien de tout ce q[ue] l’on vous en dira car il n’en est rien comme vous congnoistrez quant vous serez arrivé car vous trouverez toutes choses en leur entier pour vre regard, et le Roy monsieur mon filz en bonne disposition de ny rien changer [...]”.

Horatio Rucellai was of Florentine origin but had left the city in conflict with the ruling Medicis. In Lyon he established a successful bank and provided a financial lifeline to the crown during the First French War of Religion in 1562/63, though Catherine de' Medici was forced to pledge parts of the crown jewels to him. Rucellai's apparent claim on liabilities of the city of Lyon is certainly connected to his role as creditor of the French crown. In 1581, Rucellai leased the salt tax (gabelle) and achieved a reduction in order to minimize fraud. From 1587, Rucellai served in the court of Ferdinando I de' Medici. As a former courtier of Catherine's, Rucellai was charged with the negotiations for Ferdinando's marriage with Catherine's favourite granddaughter Christina of Lorraine, achieved in 1589.

Counter-signed by "Chantereau". Some foxing, minor water damage and two deeper tears to the lower margin.

Art.-Nr.: BN#57038 Schlagwort: