Michel de Nostredame (1503-66), was one of the leading lights of the late French Renaissance.

As a physician he came to specialise in the Plague, though he frankly admits that none of his cures actually had much effect on the disease.

He was also famed as a mathematician and astrologer.

On his semi-retirement in around 1550 he turned to writing.

Apart from a highly popular cookbook and a number of academic works, his main fields were astrology and prophecy.

This brought him into great public prominence, and he became particularly influential at the French court.