Childhood, Education and Studies of Michel Nostradamus

MICHEL was born in Hoche street (now renamed Rue des Barri), in a simple building, and after 5 days his baptism was registered.
His great-grandfather Jean de Saint-Rémy, royal medical doctor, gave as dowry to his nephew Renée (MICHEL's mother), the home and surrounding lands, vine- yards and a brick's factory located in Orgon.
Many biographers, kept the idea that great-grandfather Jean began to teach Michel, since his early years, to astronomical sciences, to very ancient concepts of sacred mathematics and to the most hidden esoteric knowledge. Between those, certainly he taught Michel about the Qabbalistic Traditions of the PROVENCE SCHOOL. This knowledge began with in MOISE DE JEAN 1309
Astrology was a matter of universitary teaching, and became a complimentary science to Medicine thanks to king CHARLES V of France (1338-1830) that was king instead of his father JOHN II, (prisoner of English Crown) in 1356-1360, he founded in Paris an University that joined Medicine with Astrology, with it's motto: "a physician without astrology is like a blind eye" .
Michel studied in AVIGNON, where he was hosted by aunt Marguerite, here he showed a brilliant mind, that easily remembered notions and languages, at age 16, he already understood Latin, Greek, Hebrew, had some confidence with astrology and mathematics, he began to study ancient Hebrew esoteric sciences, knew some principles in medicine and learned how to prepare some simple curative drugs.
In Avignon in 1520 he got the title of "Maitre des Arts", (like high school diploma) and this gave him the right to teach letters and philosophy in the schools.
In 1526, because of street riots in the city, professors were forced to stop lessons, and he left for a while MONTPELLIER's UNIVERSITY, and could return only after three years. In 1528 he stayed in BORDEAUX, where he helped in a very effective way to fight the expansion of the terrible PLAGUE EPIDEMY brought from Italy by king LOUIS XII troops.
He followed the advise taught by his great-grandfather, he suggested to bury corpses very deep, between layers of quicklime (Lime has a sterilizating action). He advised to burn trash (food for rats and their infecting fleas). Also he asked to everybody to have a scrupulous cleaning of hands, to change clean dresses often, filtrating masks, etc. His potion of GARLIC and ALOE that he recommended as ointment for massages and also for ingestion got an excellent reputation for defending from plague infection. (Actually, scientist have widely proven the excellent antibacterial action of GARLIC and the immunostimulator effect of ALOE). He got convinced to study Medicine.
In 1529 he signed to the famous , where he studied together with famous UNIVERSITY OF MONTPELLIER people like François REBELAIS and Balthasar Noyer. Surely, as almost all his colleagues, he practice clandestine corpse dissections, something that was forbidden by the Law and the Church of those times (except with the dead bodies of criminals sentenced to death).
In 1532 he got his DEGREE and the right to dress the RED TOGA, and began to practice as the assistant of an older doctor. After four days of examinations he got the degree. Was thirty years old, and following the fashion between the sages of those times, latinazed his name, and from the simple Nostredame transformed in the character... NOSTRADAMUS !
For the title of Medical Doctor he made an examination over six patients, so he finally obtained in Saint-Firmin's church the golden ring, the squared hat and Ippocrate's book. Since then he will wear his family's emblem, with 4 sectors, in two is depicted a black headed eagle, and in the other two there is an eight rayed wheel, a remembrance of his origin, "of the wandering" of Hebrews around the whole world. The shield is underlined by a coat of arms that has written his famous motto:

SOLI DEO , maybe meaning "Only God", or... "Sun God" !

In the book by Cèsar Nostradamus (Michel's son) Histoire et chroniques de Provence is told that great-grandfather Pierre was a Royal Physician (false: was a wheat merchant) and is said to be descendent from Israel's tribe of Issachar, his true name Abraham Salomon.
The friendship with Françoise RABELAIS is certain, Nostradamus was surely a great friend of him. Less sure is the life of merrymaking and the visits to dubious girlfriends, told in many books, and less of all, the marriages with two prostitutes, in sequence ! I don't believe that a so sharp mind would have preserved his great cuteness between drinks, parties and hedonism ! (Probable exceptions in great occasions).
This could be truth for RABELAIS, son of a wealthy family, that began as a Franciscan friar, then changed to the Benedictines, and then signed to Medicine in Montpellier (1530), where he got his degree in 1537. In the while he wrote his funny masterpieces Pantagruel (1532), Gargantua (1534), and Pantagruelique Pronostication (burlesque predictions for year 1533), where he made a laugh of astrologers and seers. And is not known in what measure this was inspired by the sighting of his own friend Michel de Nostradame !
 

His friend Cèsar Scaliger. His first Wife and sons die of Plague.

After his degree, Nostradamus did not had an easy life. He lacks a medical relative that could help him to make a decent practice and that maybe could present him some clients. He also has to hide his Hebrew stem, in order to get modesty jobs as a helper in small medical consults or chemists laboratories. In 1533 is in Avignon, then moves to BORDEAUX and Tolouse, where he had to survive selling beauty lotions and fruit jellies, that brought him some fair money.
He went to the town of AGEN, located in the department of Lot-Garonne, (100 miles north of Lourdes) after receiving a letter of invite sent by César SCALIGER, a extravagant man with sage's fame, very presumptuous, that had knowledge in many areas (but without enough deepening) and that claimed to speak correctly Greek, Italian (obviously, he was born there) Latin, German, etc.
He had a very strong will, and had 15 sons with his wife Audiette de Roques-Lobejac. Was an atheist to the extreme, made severe criticism against the ideas of the Erasmus von Rotterdam and to the Italian mathematician Girolamo Cardano.
Scaliger is very exuberant, wants to take control of all, and took Nostradamus under his protective wing. He founds a wife for Nostradamus, and Michel marries for the first time in TOLOUSE(1533), with Madeleyne (?) and from their marriage were born two sons, that soon will die during the tragedy of PLAGUE.
Scaliger soon understands the deep esoteric knowledge hold by Nostradamus in many esoteric arguments, and soon begins to have a growing envy. And Nostradamus also began to work in the workshop of an Huguenot chemist, Victor SARACEN, that when tortured by the Catholic Inquisition, denounced Nostradamus as being more a nigromant than a medical doctor or an astrologer, and that also own forbidden books.
Many biographers say that was Scaliger himself to call the inquisitors. (I don't believe this because MN called Cèsar his first son, in honour of his old friend ?) So Nostradamus had to run out from the town, in order to save his life, and left alone in Agen his wife Madeleyne. He began the difficult life of the countryside medical doctor, having to rest in houses of merciful peasants (that paid him with hospitality, food and maybe some eggs for travels. He could manage to return to Agen, called by authorities because of the PLAGUE) epidemic. When Michel finally reached the town (1535), he could only watch the terrible death of his wife and two children, already infected by this bacteria (being most of all an hygienist, he could do very few thing to save his family).
 

Travels of Nostradamus: Germany, Italy

Overcome by the grief of the lost of family and the betrayal of his best friend, prosecuted by Inquisition, ruined in his career, Michel travels for 12 years across the world. He suspects of everybody, is in a complete paranoid condition that is loosened only by the immersion in the bittersweet condition of having nothing more to lose, of being completely free, from any duty and responsibility. He is free to read anything he wants, he is free to prepare and taste any potion, there are not any wife of children to care about, he can go almost everywhere in the world, he is free from daily life, the only hunger that he has to satisfy is his own desire of more knowledge, of the deepest mysteries.
There is a tale, maybe a legend, that tells that during one trip to Italy, near ANCONA (Ghetto-city in Adriatic sea, for Italian Hebrews and harbour to the east) he crossed in his path with a group of humble Franciscan friars, between those there was the young novice Felice PERETTI, a former swine-herder, maybe the poorest in group. Nostradamus suddenly kneeled down in front of him, and made a reverence !
The friars remained startled and asked, why all this fervour towards a very simple brother that had entered the order only yesterday ? M.N. answered that it was quite normal that a good Christian prostrate in front of his Holiness the Pope ! In effect, after a long and painstaking career, the swine-herder Felice, will became General Vicarious of the Franciscan friars, Bishops of Sant'Agata dei Goti, Cardinal in 1570, and finally he will be elected to the Pontifex Solium, becoming Pope with the name SIXTUS V(Pope from 1585 to 1590, more than 19 years after M.N. death).
 

First Books by Nostradamus. Medical Doctor and Astronomer.

In 1545 he wrote Interpretation des Hieroglyphs de Horapollo 86 hand-written sheets authenticated, that after being in the library of COLBERT, minister of French king LOUIS XIV, were bought by THE ROYAL LIBRARY and (until recently) were in the old National Bibliotheque de Paris (former location: MSF 2594), this is the only certified hand-written of Nostradamus, actually available. All it's parts are written by himself and signed. This text was published in Barcelona by Pierre ROLLER (1968), and contains 11 unpublished quatrains and an "explanation" about Costantine's treasure, commented by PEIRESC, a famous botanical and brother like friend of Nostradamus' son César.
In may 1546 a delegation coming from the town of Aix en Provence asked for his presence in the city, where it was raging a terrible PLAGUE epidemics, (Infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis that has as it's reservoir more than 200 species of rodents and vector insects like fleas). In a few hours thousands of persons got the illness, because also the small drops of cough (Plugge's) ejected
by those with the pulmonary form, that remained in suspension in closed environments.
In 2-12 days the patients went from complete good health to a terrible disease that showed with fever arriving to 72° Fahrenheit, with repeated agitated quivering, headache, delirium, vomit. In the place of the flea's bite (or entrance's wound), can be seen a vesicle that soon will enlarge to from a blister, after two days there will be swelling of lymphonodes that will merge to form a big bluish bubo usually in the inguinal zone.
The aching bubo Charbon will enlarge to the size of an egg. There is irregular fever. If the patient has a good immunity the bubo will open and leave a scar. If the person was unlucky he would had the bacteria going to the blood, the lungs or brain, with a toxic state, bleeding, diarrhoea, kidney disease, shock. Death usually happened in 6°-7° day. But, during epidemics there were several types of disease, fulminating with death in 3 days, or mild as an influenza.
In our age there is a vaccine, that covers for 6 months. As therapy for infected are available sulphonamides, streptomycin, cloramphenicol (it reduces mortality to 5%). Great relevance is given today to the fight against rats and to the isolation of the suspected and certainly ill, something that M.N. knew and made perfectly, anticipating modern notions. But, in that times, many doctors thought of plague, simply as a chastisement sent by God
Aix town was plenty of corpses, abandoned along the streets, leaking blood and pus, eaten by rats, that were bitten by fleas. In a general histery, ill and healthy commit suicide throwing themselves from windows or drowning in wells. Many women sew on herself their shroud, in order to prevent, when dying, of being left naked in the street and raped by any of many infected men plenty of madness.
Nostradamus ordered to empty the streets, burn trash, to bury the corpses very deep between layers of quicklime. Orders disinfect of houses with winegar, boiled wine, boiling water. Advises to burn aromatic woods, to clean sewers. Orders extermination of rats with poisoned bait. Recommends the chewing of GARLIC cloves, (today scientist proved the antibacterial action of garlic), the use of gloves and filtration masks made of leather.
Nostradamus, clearly knows, to be one of those few lucky men, with a strong immunity towards plague, because he got it in a milder form in Tolouse. With cold blood he contempt death, walks in the streets and brings his lovely help everywhere, also in the houses of the terminally ill, while outside, in the street, is heard the terrifying bell of the Alarbes cart that is collecting corpses.
With the help of Aix's pharmacist, Joseph TURRELL, makes prepare remedies, like his "Electary of Egg against Plague", made of cipress, aloe, amber, musk, carnation flowers, iris essence and roses. (Today it is known that many of the substances here mentioned are mild immunity stimulators). After 9 months of terror, plague was overcame, and Nostradamus received a life fee.
But his presence is immediately requested in Lion, for another epidemic, that he will defeat with the same great success. In 1547 he goes to Salon for a suspected epidemics, but luckily is only a false alarm In this city of 4000 souls, lives his brother BERTRAND, there he will put his home for the next 19 years, and will marry Anne Ponsarde and live until the end of his days.
SALON en Provence is located 24 miles from Marseille, not very far from Saint-Rémy, and is surrounded by vast olive cultivation and vineyards, producing an excellent oil and wine. Today Nostradamus is remembered in streets and boulevards. In his home has been installed a museum.
Michel is 45 years old, and there he meets Anne Ponsarde, the rich widow of Jean Beaulme. He will marry her after two months of engagement, maybe because of her endowed beauties, but also because of his dowry (400 Florins) ! The marriage is celebrated in November 26 of 1547, with a warm ceremony and a sumptuous reception because of the presence of many nobleman, authorities and simple citizens, all very happy to rend their greeting to a Man universally acclaimed as a benefactor of that piece of mankind.
Since that time he will live in Anne's home, 4 floors in Ferrey-Roux quarter. In the highest floor, he will put a laboratory-observatory, the place dedicated to his astronomical observations that frequently make him go into trance condition and lead his spirit to undergo his extraordinary travels in time and space. From this experiences Nostradamus will get the visions that he will use to compile his immortal quatrains, that he will soon publish with the name Des Siecles (The Centuries).
But many authors suspect, based in a few quatrains surely belonging to the past of Nostradamus (like those about the Templar Crusaders, or those about Anglican Schism) that Michel could had received a lot of ready-made quatrains from his great-grand- father JEAN, an that the latter had received these from secret groups, Templars ?
Nostradamus was described by his disciple Jean-Ayme de CHAVIGNY, as being of strong complexion, slightly shorter than average, with a large forehead, and with well co loured cheeks. From his light grey eyes, a kind gaze assured his interlocutors. But they were impressed by his long beard, more typical of the Hebrew Cabalist or of iranian Suphi than of the usual Renaissance sage.
In those long years he got to develop a taciturn and very analytical temperament, that led him to ponder accurately every word, and to rapidly elaborate a very sharp and deep judgement of the persons he met, that expressed with subtle irony. Always plenty of courtesy, is ready to change to the most absolute coldness, when realises to be in front of people that simply want to make him lost his precious time, yet because of their innate malice or only because intellectual lacking.
Having an excellent health, he will be ached only in his late age by rheumatism and gout. He lives in a very simple and reserved way, but never going too far nor blending too much with SALON's small medieval community, made of serene and laborious people that know everybody in the town by his own name, where they placidly live, commerce and work between humble but clean and roomy homes.
Women stroll along main street, showing their beautiful flowery blue dresses, their sumptuous breasts exploding from neckline, her well shaped bottom raised by Provence's wooden shoes Sabot , their long black or red hair making volutes.
All this life is watched by the austere structure of Empire's (XIII c.) castle<> Today in Salon, we could see the clock (XIV c.) of the watchtower of Saint Michel's Church (background of this page) were Nostradamus everyday assisted to Holy Mass (Is behaving in an very Christian way, in order to prevent any further prosecution by Inquisition). We could also see the ancient arch of Borg-Neuf, and the Saint Laurence's College and Church, belonging to Franciscan friars, where M.N. will be buried 19 years later.
He elaborated many horoscopes (very well paid) for rich men in town, and also helped to the decoration of the city. The mayors of Salon asked him to write the text of a commemorative plate for a fountain (1553).
He wrote for them the following laughing text: "If the resources of humane ingenuity, could had consent to constantly bring wine to the citizens, for the not very good tasting waters of the fountain that here you can see, would had been unuseful to make this expense by the Senate (mayors) and the Peoples of Salon; the noblemen Palamède Marl and Anthony Paul being the "consuls". He signed the stone plate M. Nostradamus (give thanks) to the immortal gods in name of Salon habitants".
In this times, he is not working more as a medical doctor, because esoterical studies absorb his time. In 1550 he began to publish his first ALMANACS with annual previsions, that had an enormous success. (Copies of 1557 and 1563 are in Arbaud library in Aix-en-Provence).
In April 1552, (dedicated to his brother Jean) he published the Traitè des Fardements with recipes for excellent, tasteful jellies, beauty lotions and other venial things, this indicates that Michel, in Salon has finally found a small degree of serenity, and know shows his sybarite and playful side, that all those sad circumstances had suffocated.
In March 15° of 1555, he ended his long letter ad Cesarem Nostradamus Filium (That interpreters De Fontbrune (father and son) have deciphered and linked in a very convincing way to events like French Revolution [1792 is a clearly stressed date in this letter], to the First and Second World Wars, and to the menacing THIRD WORLD WAR, that could led to St. John's Apocalypse and to the glorious return of Our Lord Jesus).
The "Letter to my Son César" will join in the same book, the first 3 Centuries in verses ordered in quatrains, plus 53 q. of the IV Century. The first publishing was in LION, with this title: Les Vrayes Centuries et Propheties de Maistre Michel Nostradamus , and the editor was Macè BONHOMME , in date May 3rd 1555. Quatrains are the result of years of intense arrangement work, as everybody can feel, reading the large number of sixains and quatrains left incomplete and never published during Nostradamus' life.
In following years he will continue this work, publishing without pause in the years to come: annual PRESAGES (not referred to France's destiny), the quatrains of the other 7 centuries, and lefting to posthume press the Sixains SIXTINES , that probably contain (idea of interpreter ROBERTS) a LITURGICAL CHRONOLOGY (from Nicea's Council, A.D.325) and (between several things) a reference to Wall St. crisis (1929) and to exact time of nazist rule in Germany.
Recently (1982) it was discovered in the Central National Library in Rome (Castro Pretorio) (by Mrs. Enza Massa of the "Giornale dei Misteri) an illustrated CODEX of XVII c. with title Vaticinia M. Noftradamis de futuri Christi Vicarii ad Cesarem filium. D.I.A. Interprete with images of prophecies about Popes by abbot Joachim da FIORE, but with addiction of new images. Nat. Library attributes this codex to Nostradamus, is joined by a bibliographic card wrote by Cartesian fathers that tell that the hand-written was sent as a gift in 1622 by Nostradamus first son, Cèsar, to card. Maffeo BARBERINI, that in 1623 would had become Pope with the name URBANUS VIII.

Nostradamus's sons: Cèsar, Charles, André, daughters: 
Madeleyne, Jeanne, Anne e Diane