Despite her dowry of the city-state of Florence, the French court looked down at her as merely as a merchant's daughter and largely ignored her. As the wife of a second son, she was not a person of great importance, which increased the court's ability to disregard her. Catherine's husband, who would eventually ascend to the throne, already had a well-established relationship with his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, a woman 20 years older than the prince, and who would stay faithful to him until his death. It is no wonder, therefore, that in this atmosphere, Catherine longed for a taste of home. They introduced vegetables never before seen in France-broccoli, green beans, peas, truffles, artichokes, and melons.
Guinea hens, as well as veal made an appearance.
And most importantly, these Italian cooks taught the French how to move past the medieval preferences for meats prepared with dry rubs of strong spices, but instead how to employ delicate sauces. Catherine would later gain fame as the wife of the king and the mother to three others. As queen dowager she would be known as Madame Snake, with secret hideaways for poison rings and daggers. She would gain infamy in her role in the Saint Bartholomew Massacre and praise for her role in bringing ballet to France in 1581 with her sponsored production of Ballet Comique de la Reine. Her cousin, Marie de Medici, would also marry into the French royal family in 1600, and continued the tradition of bringing culinary innovation with her.