Isabella d'Este Gonzaga: the Lady of the Renaissance
Isabella d'Este, like all women of her time, had a destiny already written: to marry and give birth to children, possibly boys. She had six children, three boys and three girls. But her life was not limited to this. Her marriage to Francesco II Gonzaga was not a great love story, and her true interest was always elsewhere: art and beauty, passions that made her immortal in history.
A woman ahead of her time
A lover of politics, travel and above all art, Isabella was one of the few women of her time to actively participate in political, administrative and cultural life.
Isabella child, girl, woman
Educated at the court of Ferrara, her hometown, Isabella grew up in a lively environment, surrounded by artists and intellectuals. From an early age she translated texts from Latin and Greek, and became passionate about painting, sculpture and music.
At the tender age of seven she was promised in marriage to the Marquis of Mantua, Gian Francesco Gonzaga. At thirteen she was sent to the court of Mantua to prepare for the wedding, which took place two years later.
Isabella d'Este had contact with some of the greatest artists and politicians of the Renaissance. Among the artists, she met Leonardo da Vinci, Mantegna, Perugino and Giulio Romano. Among the historical figures, she came into contact with Ludovico il Moro, the King of France Louis XII, Francis I, the Emperor Charles V, Pope Julius II and even the Borgia family. Her sister-in-law, in her third marriage, became the famous Lucrezia Borgia.
How was Isabella d'Este?
Physically, she was small and rather plump, although the portraits show her more idealized. She was authoritarian, respectful, decisive, and ambitious, qualities that made her a prominent figure in her time.
Many artists portrayed it, but with very different results:
- Andrea Mantegna, court painter in Mantua, did not portray her with particular beauty, and the painting is now lost.
- Titian, on the other hand, knew how to satisfy his client, creating a portrait that valued her to the fullest.
- Rubens, a century later, painted it in a more burdened way. The portrait kept at the Schloss Ambras in Innsbruck is considered one of the most faithful.
- Leonardo da Vinci was the only one not to fulfill her requests: after much insistence on Isabella's part, he limited himself to making only a charcoal sketch.
Not everyone, however, was kind to her: Pietro Aretino described her mercilessly as "monstrous, with ebony teeth, ivory eyelashes, dishonestly ugly and arch-dishonestly embellished".
A woman who thinks outside the box
Isabella d'Este Gonzaga's motto was "nec spe nec metu", or "neither with hope nor with fear". This expression represents her strong, independent and determined personality.
Even today, his figure remains one of the most fascinating symbols of the Italian Renaissance.
Do you want to get to know Mantua and the places of Isabella d'Este Gonzaga?
For more information: info@guideverona.net
