ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In august 2008, i went to the Archivio di Stato in Turin to search for the letters exchanged between Philip II's two daughters, Isabel Clara Eugenia and Catalina Micaela.With four sisters of my own, I was intrigued by letters between sisters and thought the correspondence of the two infantas might also shed light on Isabel's last decade and a half at the Spanish court.Unable to find their letters, though, I discovered instead the correspondence between Catalina and Carlo.Fascinated by this unusually rich correspondence between wife and husband, I decided to shift my focus from the two sisters (especially Isabel) to the married couple (especially Catalina).It was the best decision of my scholarly life.Over the years, Richard Kagan, my dissertation adviser at Johns Hopkins, has been a model of scholarly research and committed mentorship.He fosters friendships and builds connections, and many besides myself have benefited from his encouragement and good cheer.I first presented on Catalina at "Kagan's Kaleidoscope," a mini-conference to celebrate Richard's sixty-fifth birthday, and the encouraging comments I received there convinced me of the promise of this research.It was through Richard that I met Geoffrey Parker, whose support and assistance have been invaluable.