C atherine ▁de ▁Beau v ill iers ▁( 2 5 ▁April ▁ 1 5 7 4 ▁– ▁ 1 6 6 7 ) ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁abb ess . ▁ ▁When ▁she ▁was ▁ 2 4 ▁she ▁entered ▁the ▁convent - ab bey ▁of ▁ ▁Mont mart re ▁in ▁Paris , ▁installed ▁as ▁abb ess ▁in ▁succession ▁to ▁her ▁sister , ▁some ▁three ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 1 . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁she ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁mist ress es ▁of ▁King ▁Henry ▁IV , ▁when ▁he ▁lod ged ▁at ▁the ▁ab bey ▁while ▁lay ing ▁sie ge ▁to ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 0 . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁never theless ▁Marie - C atherine ▁who ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁having ▁subsequently ▁restored ▁the ▁ab bey ▁to ▁moral ▁and ▁physical ▁good ▁order . ▁ ▁Life ▁Marie - C atherine ▁de ▁Beau v ill iers ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁the ▁Ch âteau ▁of ▁La ▁F ert é ▁Im bert ▁at ▁Ch anten ay - Saint - Im bert , ▁roughly ▁ 2 4 0   km ▁( 1 5 0 ▁miles ) ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁Paris . ▁▁ ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Claude ▁de ▁Beau v ill iers , ▁the ▁Count ▁of ▁Saint - A ign an ▁and ▁of ▁Marie ▁Bab ou ▁de ▁la ▁Bour da is ière . ▁ ▁The ▁family ▁was ▁well ▁connected . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 7 ▁Marie - C atherine ▁joined ▁the ▁Ab bey ▁of ▁Per ay ▁to