Nostradamus's father's family had originally been Jewish, but had converted to Catholic Christianity a generation before Nostradamus was born. He studied at the University of Avignon , but was forced to leave after just over a year when the university closed due to an outbreak of the plague. He worked as an apothecary for several years before entering the University of Montpellier , hoping to earn a doctorate, but was almost immediately expelled after his work as an apothecary a manual trade forbidden by university statutes was discovered.
He first married in , but his wife and two children died in during another plague outbreak. He worked against the plague alongside other doctors before remarrying to Anne Ponsarde, with whom he had six children. He wrote an almanac for and, as a result of its success, continued writing them for future years as he began working as an astrologer for various wealthy patrons.
Catherine de' Medici became one of his foremost supporters. He suffered from severe gout toward the end of his life, which eventually developed into edema. He died on 1 or 2 July Many popular authors have retold apocryphal legends about his life. Michel's known siblings included Delphine, Jean c.
At the age of 14, [ 7 ] Nostradamus entered the University of Avignon to study for his baccalaureate. After leaving Avignon, Nostradamus, by his own account, traveled the countryside for eight years from researching herbal remedies. In , after some years as an apothecary , he entered the University of Montpellier to study for a doctorate in medicine. He was expelled shortly afterwards by the student procurator , Guillaume Rondelet , when it was discovered that he had been an apothecary, a "manual trade" expressly banned by the university statutes, and had been slandering doctors.
After his expulsion, Nostradamus continued working, presumably still as an apothecary, and became famous for creating a "rose pill" that purportedly protected against the plague. After their deaths, he continued to travel, passing through France and possibly Italy. On his return in , he assisted the prominent physician Louis Serre in his fight against a major plague outbreak in Marseille , and then tackled further outbreaks of disease on his own in Salon-de-Provence and in the regional capital, Aix-en-Provence.
