Isabella d'Este

Isabella d'Este (18 May 1474–13 February 1539) was marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance and a major cultural and political figure.

Family

Born in Ferrara, she was the first daughter of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, and Leonora of Naples, daughter of Ferdinand I of Naples, the Aragonese King of Naples, and Isabella of Taranto.

Early life

Isabella was born on May 18, 1474 to the Duke Ercole and Duchess Leonora of Ferrara. She was received with great joy. A son was hoped for but could wait. One year later in June 1475 her sister Beatrice d'Este was born. Then in 1476 and 1477 two brothers were born. The first was Alfonso and second Ippolitto. In 1479 and 1480 two more brothers were born.They were Ferrante and Sigismondo. Of all the children Isabella reigned as the favorite.

In 1479 when Ferrante was born, Isabella traveled to Naples with her mother. When her mother returned to Ferrara, Isabella went with her, while the other children stayed with their grandfather for eight years. As Isabella traveled with her mother she learned politics. When it came time to study, Isabella mastered the required subjects quickly.

Isabella was quite intelligent and became masterful in many languages. Isabella's favorite language was Greek. She was also a talented musician. She was taught to play the lute by Giovanni Angelo Testagrossa. ^[1]

Education

As Isabella grew, she received a royal schooling. As a child she studied Roman history, and rapidly learned to translate Greek and Latin. Because of her stunning intellect, she often discussed the classics and the affairs of the day with ambassadors. Moreover, she knew the painters, musicians, writers, and scholars, who lived in and around the court. Besides her knowledge of history and languages, she could also recite Virgil and Terrence by heart, was an expert with lute, singing, and an innovator of new dances.

In 1480, at age six, Isabella was betrothed to Francesco Gonzaga, the heir to the Marquis of Mantua. Although he was not handsome, Isabella liked him for his strength and bravery; she also thought that he was a gentleman. After their first few encounters, she found she liked him and spent the next few years getting to know him and preparing herself to be the Marchesa of Mantua. During their courtship, Isabella treasured the letters, poems, and sonnets he sent her as gifts.

Marriage

Ten years later, at age 16, she married the 25 year old, now reigning Francesco Gonzaga and became his wife and Marchesa amid a spectacular outpouring of popular acclamation. Besides the Marquis Francesco was also Captain General of the republic of Venice armies. Because of his many duties, a couple of days after their honeymoon he left her to perform her responsibilities on her own.
Isabella was not abandoned: she spent time with her mother and sister, and once she met Elisabetta Gonzaga her 18-year-old sister-in-law the two became fast and warm friends.

Isabella D'Este and Francesca II Gonzaga had 8 children ^[2]:

Leonora, born 1493. Married Francesco de Rovere, Duke of Urbino.
Margherita, born 1496.
Livia, born 1501, died 1508.
Ippolita, born 1503, died 1580. Ippolita became a nun in the Dominican convent of S. Vincenzo.
Frederico II, born 1500, died 1540. Married Margherita Paleologa.
Louis Ercole, born 1506, died 1565. Became a Cardinal.
Ferrante, born 1507, died 1557. Married Isabella di Capua.
Livia, later known as Sister Paola, born 1508, died 1569

Influence on people

To entertain herself she read and played the lute, which she learned as a child and soon wanted to try all the new instruments that were being made available. In addition to music she collected art, and backed painters, like Titian, Raphael and Da Vinci. Forms of art such as clothing were also important, she bought the finest clothing, including furs and new brands of perfume. However, her role as a Marchesa meant more than just pleasing herself and others, so she decided to learn the problems faced by a ruler of a city-state. To improve the well being of her people she studied architecture, agriculture, and industry and followed the principles that Machiavelli set forth for rulers.

Death

After conflicts died down she left Rome, and in her 60's returned to Mantua and made it a cultural center, started a school for girls and created her ducal apartments into a museum of the finest art. Nevertheless this was not enough for Isabella so she continued her life long quest and ruled a tiny part of Romagna, Solarolo until her death on February 13, 1539.

Biography

Later life

Isabella played an important role in Mantua during their time of need. When her husband was captured in 1509 and held hostage in Venice, she took control of Mantua's military forces and held off their invaders until his return in 1512. While ruling, she seemed to be much tougher than her husband. Therefore, upon his return he realized that he'd been shown up and grew angry at her, allowing her to travel and live glamourously until his death of disease in 1519.
After the death of her husband, Isabella ruled Mantua as regent for her son, Federico. She began to play an important role in Italian politics, steadily advancing Mantua's position. She played a role in advancing Mantua to a Duchy, which was obtained by wise political use of her son's marriage contracts, and also obtaining a cardinalate for her son Ercole. She also showed great diplomatic and political skill in her negotiations with Cesare Borgia, who had dispossessed Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino, the husband of her sister-in-law and good friend Elisabetta Gonzaga (1502).

References

^ Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John, eds. (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)‎
^ Julia Mary Cartwright Ady, Isabella d'Este, marchioness of Mantua, 1474-1539: a study of the renaissance, Volume 1, 1907