Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France (Yale University Press)

This book tells the history of the French Renaissance through the lives of its most prominent queens and mistresses, beginning with Agnes Sorel, the first officially recognized royal mistress in 1444, including Anne of Brittany, Catherine de Medici, Anne Pisseleu, Diane de Poitiers, Marguerite de Valois among others, and concluding with Gabrielle d'Estrees, Henry IV's powerful mistress during the 1590s. Wellman includes both queens and mistresses, showing that women in both roles enjoyed great influences over both French politics and culture, not to mention the powerful men with whom they were involved. The book also addresses the enduring mythology surrounding these women, relaying captivating tales that uncover much about Renaissance modes of argument, symbols, and values as well as our own modern preoccupations.