Filippa Duci | |
---|---|
Born | 1520 |
Died | 1586 |
Nationality | Italian (Piedmontese) |
Known for | Courtesan |
Spouse | Jean Bernardin de Saint-Severin. |
Partner | Henry II of France |
Children | Diane de France |
Filippa Duci or Filippa Ducci (French: Philippe Desducs; 1520, Moncalieri, Piedmont – before October 1586, near Tours),[1] dame de Couy, was a French (originally Italian) courtesan. She was the mother of Diane de France.[2]
Her father was Gian Antonio Duci. During the Italian Wars in 1537,[3] the French dauphin Henry (later Henry II of France) stayed with a squire, Filippa's brother, Gian Antonio Duci.[4] Henry was seduced by Filippa on first sight, and she became his mistress.[5] When Henri heard Duci was pregnant, he arranged for her to be maintained until she gave birth.[6] Duci gave birth to their daughter, Diane de France, in Paris in 1538.[2] This proved that Henry was not sterile;[7] he had been married to Catherine de Médici, yet had still not produced an heir due to urological problems.[8] The baby was named Diane after Henry's love, his mistress Diane de Poitiers,[9] who raised the child along with her own two children.[10]
In 1541, Francis I of France granted Duci 400 livres tournois a year for life in an Ordinaire de Touraine and allowed her to retire to a convent.[11] She married the Italian gentleman and privy councillor Jean Bernardin de Saint-Severin in 1546.[1] After Diane was legitimized, Filippa was known as dame de Bléré en Touraine.[1] In 1582, she became a lady in waiting to queen dowager Catherine de Médici.[1]