Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566)

Siblings: his known siblings included Delphine, Jean I (c. 1507–77), Pierre, Hector, Louis, Bertrand, Jean II (born 1522), and Antoine (born 1523).

Children: Cesar Nostradamus, Anne de Nostredame, Diane de Nostredame, Madeleine de Nostredame, Charles de Nostredame, and another unnamed child.

### Best Known For

His book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events, which was published in 1555

## About

Michel de Nostredame, usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Prophéties (published in 1555), a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events. Nostradamus began his medical practice in Agen sometime in the 1530s, despite not having taken a medical degree and having been expelled from medical school. In 1544, he moved to Salon, where he gained renown for his innovative medical treatments during outbreaks of the plague at Aix and Lyon in 1546–47. He began making prophecies about 1547, which he published in 1555 in a book entitled Centuries. The work consisted of rhymed quatrains grouped in hundreds, each set of 100 called a century. Nostradamus's prophecies have been the subject of much debate and controversy. From the 1980s onward, an academic reaction set in, especially in France. The publication in 1983 of Nostradamus' private correspondence and, during succeeding years, of the original editions of 1555 and 1557 discovered by Chomarat and Benazra, together with the unearthing of much original material in the archives at Salon, has done much to discredit him among scholars. Despite this, Nostradamus remains one of the most widely read seers of the Renaissance.

## Early Life and Education

Michel de Nostredame, also known as Nostradamus, was born on December 14 or 21, 1503, in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France. He was the first son of Jewish parents who were forced by the Inquisition to convert to Catholicism. His father, Jaume (or Jacques) de Nostredame, was a prosperous notary, and his mother, Reynière, was the granddaughter of Pierre de Saint-Rémy. Nostradamus was one of at least nine children. From an early age, he showed a talent for languages and was educated by his grandfather, Jean de Saint-Rémy, who taught him Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and mathematics.

## Career

Michel de Nostredame, also known as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer who lived from December 14, 1503, to July 1566. He began his medical practice in Agen sometime in the 1530s and moved to Salon in 1544, where he gained renown for his innovative medical treatments during outbreaks of the plague. Nostradamus was not only a diviner but also a professional healer, and he wrote at least two books on medical science. He is best known for his book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events, which was published in 1555. Some of his prophecies appeared to be fulfilled, and his fame became so widespread that he was invited to the court of Catherine de Médicis, queen consort of Henry II of France, where he cast the horoscopes of her children. He was appointed physician-in-ordinary by Charles IX in 1564.

## Personal life

Michel de Nostredame was born on December 14, 1503, in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, to Jewish parents who were forced to convert to Catholicism by the Inquisition. He was the first son of his parents and grew up spending much of his time with his grandfather, Jean, who taught him Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and mathematics. Nostradamus married twice and had six children, but only two of them survived him. He began his medical practice in Agen in the 1530s and moved to Salon in 1544, where he gained renown for his innovative medical treatments during outbreaks of the plague. Nostradamus was invited to the court of Catherine de Médicis, queen consort of Henry II of France, where he cast the horoscopes of her children.

## Relationships

Michel de Nostredame, also known as Nostradamus, married a woman of uncertain name, possibly Henriette d'Encausse, in Agen in 1531. They had two children, but his wife and children died in 1534, presumably from the plague. After their deaths, he continued his medical practice and began making prophecies, which he published in Centuries.

## Controversies

Michel de Nostredame, also known as Nostradamus, has been a controversial figure throughout history. Some academics, such as Jacques Halbronn, regard Nostradamus's Prophecies as antedated forgeries written by later authors for political reasons. However, Nostradamus gained fame during his lifetime for his innovative medical treatments during outbreaks of the plague at Aix and Lyon in 1546–47. He began making prophecies about 1547, which he published in Centuries, a book consisting of rhymed quatrains grouped in hundreds, each set of 100 called a century. Some of his prophecies appeared to be fulfilled, and his fame became so widespread that he was invited to the court of Catherine de Médicis, queen consort of Henry II of France, where he cast the horoscopes of her children. Nostradamus's prophecies have been the subject of much speculation and interpretation, with some claiming that he predicted events such as the 9/11 terror attacks.

## Filmography

“The Man Who Saw Tomorrow” is a 1981 documentary-style film about the predictions of Michel de Notredame (Nostradamus). “Nostradamus: His Life and Prophecies” is a film about Nostradamus, a French professor, physician, astrologer, mathematician, and brilliant scholar, who won lasting fame in 1559 when King Henry II died in a manner that Nostradamus had predicted. “Nostradamus: 21st Century Prophecies Revealed” is a documentary that explains the detailed prophecies made by Nostradamus. There is also a full adventure sci-fi film called “Nostradamus” where Rob Estes plays a homicide detective investigating a series of murders.