Catherine de’ Medici (1519-1589) ruled France for decades, whether through her husband or her sons. Her attempts to create peace during the French wars of religion were futile– and, ultimately, undercut by her own reputation as the “Serpent Queen” and the possible conspirator behind the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

For Further Reading:

• Catherine de’ Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda

• The Many Myths of Catherine de’ Medici
• Queens of Infamy: The Reign of Catherine de’ Medici

This month we're talking about women who found themselves at the center of controversy -- whether deserved or not.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Hannah Bottum, Lauren Willams, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates Grau, and Vanessa Handy. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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