Catherine Micaela, daughter of Philip II and Isabella of Valois, was born in 1567 in the Alcázar Palace in Madrid. Her childhood was parallel to that of her sister Isabella Clara Eugenia, both of whom spent long periods in the convent of the Descalzas Reales in Madrid under the care of their aunt Juana of Austria. In 1584, when Philip II had already annexed Portugal, he decided to secure the overland route to his Flanders states, which the House of Savoy was holding up. This sovereignty was ruled at the time by Prince Charles Emmanuel, who in 1585 became the husband of Catherine Micaela. After the marriage, celebrated in Saragossa, they both left for Turin. Her husband’s belligerence forced her to make many decisions on economic and even military matters. The training she received as a young woman with her father served her well, as her actions never seemed to be an abuse of power or a whim, as in the deliberations of the Council of State she was praised for “her prudence and great knowledge as well as her assiduity and diligence in resolving everything she undertakes”. The city of Turin also underwent various changes after the arrival of Catherine Michaela, as she personally took charge of the renovation of royal residences such as the Miraflores Palace and the Valentino Castle, as well as promoting the construction of devotional buildings such as Our Lady of Mondovi and the Sanctuary of the Capuchins. As a result of his great devotion, he sent copies of the Holy Shroud to various members of the House of Austria, as well as to the monastery of Guadalupe (Cáceres). During this period he personally chose his court portraitists, among them Jan Kraek, Cesare Arbassia and the Sadeler brothers. The Duchy of Savoy then became a very important cultural centre, bringing together literary figures of the stature of Torcuato Tasso and Gian Battista Guarini. She lived in Turin until her death in 1597 as a result of premature childbirth.
Collection: Images
Project: 11. Science and culture as representation in Europe.
Chronology: XVI
Scope: Baccalaureate, University
Resource type: Image
Format: Oil on canvas, 111x91 cm
Source: Museo del Prado (Madrid)
Language: Spanish
Date: 1584
Owner: Blanca Rodríguez Hernández (Modernalia)
Identifier: P001139
Copyright: Museo del Prado (Madrid)
Abstract: Portrait of the Infanta Catalina Micaela, a work by Alonso Sánchez Coello
Tags
Alonso Sánchez CoelloCarlos Manuel de SaboyaCatalina MicaelaCatalina Micaela de AustriaDucado de SaboyaFelipe IIHistoria de la mujerIsabel de ValoisMecenazgo femeninoPintura del siglo XVIPintura renacentistaRenacimientoRetratoRetrato realSiglo XVI
