The Heavens’ Gift
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The illustrious mistress of King Henry II of France was a woman whose beauty, intellect, and influence left an indelible mark on the French court. However, the very substance that promised her immortality might have been her undoing. In this subscriber-exclusive minisode, I bring you the story of Diane de Poitiers and her potentially deadly pursuit of youth and beauty.
Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet.
Music
Purple Planet - Waterside Harmony
Frédéric Chopin - Ballade no. 4, Op. 52 - performed by Frank Levy
Purple Planet - Leave Without Me
Purple Planet - Sense of Loss
Purple Planet - Shadowlands
Sources
Primary
Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille de. OEuvres complètes, vol. 9, 356–57. Paris: Renouard, 1886. Cit. in: Jotham Parsons. Making Money in Sixteenth-Century France: Currency, Culture, and the State. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2014.
Glauber JR. La teinture de l'or ou le véritable or potable (trad Du Teil). Thomas Jolly, 1659.
Pliny the Elder. Naturalis Historia.
Secondary
Baumgartner, Frederic J. Henry II: King of France 1547–1559. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1988.
Charlier, Philippe, Joël Poupon, Isabelle Huynh-Charlier, Jean-Francois Saliège, Dominique Favier, Christine Keyser, and Bertrand Ludes. “A Gold Elixir of Youth in the 16th Century French Court.” BMJ: British Medical Journal 339 (Dec 16, 2009): .
Parsons, Jotham. Making Money in Sixteenth-Century France: Currency, Culture, and the State. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2014.
Roussel, P. D. Histoire et description du château d'Anet depuis le dixième siècle jusqu'à nos jours, précédée d'une notice sur la ville d'Anet, terminée par un sommaire chronologique sur tous les seigneurs qui ont habité le château et sur ses propriétaires et contenant une étude sur Diane de Poitiers. Paris: D. Jouaust, 1875.
Wellman, Kathleen. Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2013.
