Christina of Sweden

Christina brought leading European intellectuals and artists to her court, including Descartes, who died there. She amassed a vast library and art collection, and her patronage made Stockholm a center of learning. After her abdication, she continued this in Rome, founding the Arcadian Academy.

During Christina's reign, Sweden participated in the Peace of Westphalia negotiations that ended the Thirty Years' War. Sweden gained territories in northern Germany, including Western Pomerania and Bremen-Verden, establishing Sweden as a major European power and securing its control of the Baltic Sea.

Christina abdicated the Swedish throne in favor of her cousin Charles X Gustav, citing her desire to convert to Catholicism, which was illegal in Lutheran Sweden. She formally converted in Brussels and later settled in Rome, where she became a patron of the arts and a prominent figure in the Catholic Church.

After her abdication, Christina attempted to become Queen of Naples, a Spanish possession. She conspired with French Cardinal Mazarin, but the plot failed. Her involvement led to the execution of her servant, the Marquis of Monaldesco, whom she had executed for betrayal.