Nostradamus' grandfather, Guy Gassonet, converted to Catholicism fifty years earlier and changed the family name to Nostradame to avoid persecution during the Inquisition.
During his early years, Nostradamus received education from his maternal grandfather, Jean de St. Remy, who recognized his exceptional intellect and potential. During this time, Nostradamus acquired foundational knowledge in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and mathematics. At the age of fourteen, he left home to pursue liberal arts studies in Avignon, a religious and academic center in Provence.
In 1522, Nostradamus enrolled at the University of Montpellier to complete his medical doctorate and established a private medical practice. He achieved success in treating plague victims in Montpellier and the surrounding areas.
Around 1534, he married and started a family. Tragically, his wife and two children succumbed to the plague, a disease he had previously treated effectively.
In 1544, Nostradamus relocated to Salon, where he gained fame for his innovative medical treatments during the outbreaks of the plague in Aix and Lyon in 1546-1547. He became renowned for his unconventional methods and earned a reputation as an exceptionally gifted healer. Notably, he refused to follow the prevailing practice of bloodletting.
Around 1547, Nostradamus commenced his prophecies, which he later published in 1555 as a book titled "Centuries." His intention was to write ten volumes, encompassing a total of one hundred predictions spanning the next two thousand years.
In 1555, he published "Les Prophesies" or "The Prophecies," a collection of 942 poetic quatrains that contained his visions of the future.
Possibly due to concerns about religious persecution, Nostradamus employed a method to obscure the meanings of his prophecies. He utilized rhymed four-line verses known as quatrains, along with a blend of languages such as Greek, Italian, Latin, and Provencal, a dialect from southern France. Despite being published in 1555, more than ten years before his death, these prophecies continue to be scrutinized annually as people strive to interpret what lies ahead for the world.
Nostradamus - A 16th-century seer
