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Isabella d'Este

Il 17 maggio 1474 a Ferrara nasceva Isabella d'Este e solo pochi mesi più tardi, l'8 settembre, a Reggio Emilia, anche lui di nobili natali, nasceva il futuro autore dell'Orlando Furioso, che di Isabella avrebbe detto che non si sarebbe potuto scegliere tra le sue tante doti quale apprezzare more. The poet, the artist who most embodies the ideal of balance and harmony inherent to the men of the Renaissance, in the service of two brothers d'Este, Ippolito first and then Alfonso, Isabella's praised not only the grace, beauty, 'friendliness, but also the intelligence, culture and patronage. And he himself wrote, in fact, his poem having as patron Isabella and her husband Francesco II Gonzaga. Ariosto was not the only "great" to have received the hospitality of the Marquis of Mantua, as well as Raphael, Leonardo, Mantegna, Titian, and musicians such as frother and Carafurono called and / or accepted at the court of Mantua. It was not the only one who wanted to enhance his work with the noble heroic origins of the Marquis Gonzaga, as Bembo, Ariosto and Tasso dedicated their works to Isabella, however, that he collected books and works of art with intelligence and discernment, like someone who knows and therefore choose to study and investigate and classify. Nor Ariosto was the only one to praise the person of Isabella. They remained still famous phrases of appreciation on her from all quarters, as well as portraits of famous people that made her look more alive and gives it to us when they have the chance to pause and look at the features elegant of his face and the folds of her elegant clothes. He was the poet Niccolo da Correggio, related to the Este family and serving the same, which he named Isabella " The first woman in the world "and often, in fact, is remembered as the first lady of the Renaissance. Certainly not, this, as much for his social and political life and especially as to his person, which, in every aspect of life that the fate would give it, so well embodied the ideal of perfection, harmony and beauty that inspired the Renaissance thought and feeling, turning the creation of works that conform. Besides, Isabella and Francesco recognized as a landmark the model of life indicated by the Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione.

Bella, even if not exceptionally beautiful, but very attractive woman and gentle charm, a charm especially that derived from intelligence and acuity of his speech and his actions, Isabella, as other women to life posed by the government of a State, was able to establish and maintain relations of friendship with the most eminent men of his time : dukes, princes, kings .... , Scholars, artists, poets ... and characterized by a feel and a good sense, which however, lacked his wife, knew how to hold the reins of government both during the illness of Francis after his death, as regent of her son Federico. He negotiated with skillful diplomacy with Cesare Borgia, who had ousted the Duke of Urbino, Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, the husband of her very dear sister Elizabeth and did not hesitate to ask the Cupid of Michelangelo he had stolen during the capture of Urbino. He got one of his seven children, Hercules, became a cardinal and the Marquis of Mantua was a duchy. He became a role model and elegance throughout Europe. After all, his ancestors were of distinguished lineage and had covered a leading role among the statesmen of the time: Ercole d'Este of Ferrara's father, Eleanor of Aragon, daughter of the King of Naples, his mother. His sister was married to Beatrice d'Este, Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.

The little Isabella, who just six years had been engaged to a teenager of 14, Francesco Gonzaga, she lived in an environment, to Ferrara, then considered the most brilliant of Italy, full of poets, scholars and artists ... she was already a prodigy of intellectuality. And as it was agreed to every girl belonging to the privileged caste, his education continued in the years ahead and it is said that Isabella excelled in everything: embroidery, dance, music ... They say they danced as if she had wings on their feet, to write verses, which were intended for music and musical instruments, preferring those strings, like the lute and harpsichord playing to perfection, with those winds, which he considered rather associated vice, he knew very well the game of chess .... It was clear complexion, her hair shone like gold, a look of light shining in his eyes blacks. The boyfriend, Francisco Gonzaga, was different from her since nell'aspeto: brown, bushy hair blacks, fond of hunting and war and women. Brave, yes, but little noticed in the war; unfaithful in marriage, he had a mistress fixed soon. Isabella, like some other prestigious sovereign of all time, he pretended not to notice and continued his life also full of activity and movement, meetings and travel. And, from superior person he was, he intensified his dedication to the arts to literature to friends, never cease to assist with his precious advices Francis, unfaithful husband and the man was not always up to the complexity of its tasks, and this she made perhaps to escape from the emptiness of love of his life as a woman and the disappointment of the bride. Isabella, however, found a safe haven in the deep friendship that bound her, cheerful and bright and keen interest in the arts and literature, his sister Beatrice, less passionate in the world of culture and art, and sister Elizabeth of nature serious, reserved and rather poor health.
And then there was the ruling passion of his life: to collect manuscripts, statues, paintings, jewelery ... There were friends and acquaintances and experts to meet and deal with them, so help her to find rarities, there were scholars to take: that Manuel print edition of the classic choices, from the ancient greek translation that translating Plutarch, a jew who translate the Psalms in order to maintain their original artistic value .... And while gathered around him scholars and artists and accumulated books and art treasures, while reading, knowing and respecting the classics and especially Plato, his personal tastes rather than the orientation towards the romance, to her the same time, to Ariosto and Tasso then also.

But Isabella, the woman was never an intellectual erudition, or the interest and attention to all forms of knowledge and prevented her from staying creative woman, charming and refined, which indeed was very fond of things beautiful jewelry, fashionable clothing, furnishings.

How to widespread custom in his day, was interested in astrology and took into account for its decisions "advice" of the stars. The dwarves liked and enjoyed them so much that he wanted to present in its follow-up and that they had built to dimensoni appropriate to their stature in the palace know. Dogs and cats were always in her room. For them, the funeral was awesome!

The Ducal Palace, which connected buildings of various ages and that the outside looked a bit like a fortress, was elegantly furnished rooms, of which those used to be inhabited by her Isabella used to change depending on various Hourly and occupations where they operated.

And despite the financial situation concedesse not sufficient means to enrich its collections, however, had Michelangelo's sculptures, paintings by Mantegna and Perugino ... not the money, most of the time, but many were much praise as reward of the works that the artists they provided! But sometimes, wanting to get valuable works, the praise were not enough and so, for example in the case of the passage of the Red Sea by Jan van Eyck, to buy costrettta was to use a big debt.

Isabella was 55 years old when he made the Titian portrait, now lost, which is a copy of Rubens, the Duchess of Mantua, where there appears to be a woman still attractive. In fact, despite his having to bear the invalidity of Francis, grooming him for the first child later, keep the reins of a complicated diplomatic game between the States and the principles, until the end of his days Isabella amused, flattered, avvinse and kept all her vivacity, promptitude of his intelligence, balance and wisdom of his choices.

During the sack of Rome in 1527 was among the cardinals of Pope Clement VII, who, under the pretext of wanting to retain as directing the salons, in fact held her captive. Being able to escape, thanks to its usual capacity, then housed and protected in his palace around 2000 people. His palace was neither sacked besieged even less!

Isabella instead got the coveted cardinal's office for his son Hercules!

Isabella d'Este, Pietro Bembo defined by the wisest woman and luckiest of all, was 64 when he died. Today it is still buried in the Chapel of Signoori in the church of San Francesco in Mantua.