Marie-Catherine Pierrevive

Marie Catherine Gondi, née de Pierrevive, dame du Perron and dame d'Armentières (circa 1500 – 1570), was a French court official and a trusted favorite and confidante of the Queen Regent of France, Catherine de Medici. She served as dame d'atour to Queen Catherine (1544-1552), Governess to the Children of France (1550–1559) and Dame to Mary Stuart (1559–1560).

Life Marie-Catherine Gondi was the daughter of Jeanne de Turin and Nicolas de Pierrevive, a rich tax-farmer in Lyon. Her family was of Italian origin and active within banking in Lyon. She was very close to her father's brothers and she grew up in the Belregard, a castle which was built over a demolished house which her father bought.

Life in Lyon In 1516, she married Florentine banker Antoine (Antonio or Guidobaldo) Gondi (1486–1560), who had emigrated to France in 1506. Antoine de Gondi was a member of the Italian Gondi family, who was to make a great career in the offices of the royal households under the patronage of Catherine de Medici, and the marriage between Marie Catherine and Antoine de Gondi is estimated to have been the beginning of the Gondi party's rise at court. she was appointed royal governess (Gouvernante des Enfants de France) to the royal children.

In 1559, Catherine appointed her Dame (lady-in-waiting) to her daughter-in-law, Mary Stuart. She often acted as Catherine's business agent, buying and selling property on her behalf: notably when she lend Catherine money to finance the construction of the Tuileries Palace, and given power to represent Catherine during its construction.

Gondi's favored position as a trusted confidante of Catherine made her the subject of sensational rumors. One such rumor, recounted by Tallemant des Reaux, was that Gondi, by means of a recipe, cured the supposed infertility of Catherine and enabled her to start conceive in 1543, after ten years of marriage without children. This was supposedly the cause of the patronage of Catherine de Medici of the Gondi family, and the great success of that family in acquiring offices in the royal household.

It is believed Gondi died on August 4, 1570.