Isabella d'Este the Marchioness of Mantua during Early Renaissance Italy

Did you know that a woman is responsible for some of the greatest artworks in history? Stick around to learn all about her. Hello and welcome to World History Encyclopedia. My name is Kelly and today's video is going to be looking at another woman in history and this time we're going to chat all about the Martianess of Mantua in early Renaissance Italy, Isabella d'Este. Don't forget the easiest way to support us is by giving this video a thumbs up and subscribing to our channel so you don't miss out on any new upload. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization so if you'd like to support our work you can head to our Patreon via the link in the top corner of the screen or by the Patreon link down below. Isabella d'Este who lived between 1474 and 1539 was the leading lady of the Renaissance who funded the works of such artists as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Many of the greatest Renaissance artworks would not exist today if not for her and yet few people today know her name or story. She was the daughter of Duke Ercole d'Este of Ferrara and Eleonora d'Aragona the daughter of King Ferrante of Naples. Isabella was the eldest of six children and at the age of six she was betrothed to Francesco Gonzaga who would become the Marquess of Mantua. Isabella was lucky that she had parents who believed in equal schooling for boys and girls so she grew up getting the best education. She was a talented singer, dancer and lute player. She loved horseback riding, card games and was proficient in both Latin and Greek although she only carried on with the Latin throughout adulthood. On the 11th of February 1490 at the age of 15 Isabella married Francesco and became the Marchioness of Mantua. Isabella and Francesco had five children who reached adulthood with Eleonora becoming the Duchess of Urbino, the son Federico succeeding his father as Marquess of Mantua and Ercole becoming a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. In the times when Francesco was away as a hired officer for some of the most powerful princes of Europe Isabella took to managing the diplomatic and administrative needs of Mantua. Although she was careful to present the decisions and actions she made as per her husband's orders she proved herself both proficient and pragmatic. She used her position to make changes and advise upon many different facets of her region including criminal justice and the justice system, agricultural and land management, public health, marriages for court Working within the limitations of being a woman in court in the renaissance period Isabella still used what power and influence she could wield in the name of her husband to good use. Even with those limitations Isabella still did a better job than her husband and it is thought that because Francesco felt like less of a man due to Isabella's efficiency it encouraged his affair with Lucrezia the wife of Isabella's brother Alfonso. When Francesco was home Isabella used the time to travel as the diplomatic representative of their court and of Mantua. She negotiated deals for the Gonzaga name and represented Mantua's interests all throughout Italy. Isabella wrote frequent correspondence to Francesco both when she was representing them at home or when she was traveling Her descriptions of festivals and ceremonies from her travels are still some of the most detailed records to survive from her time. Her frequent correspondence while Francesco was away documented in great detail her activities in court as his proxy political leader. The letters of Isabella d'Este give us a unique look into the lives of women in high positions in the renaissance period. In August of 1509 Francesco was captured by Venetians and held hostage and during this time until his release in July of the next year Isabella was the sole ruler of Mantua and successfully fended off foreign contenders for territories owned by the Gonzagas. When Francesco died in 1519 their son Federico succeeded his father as Marquess of Mantua but since he was just 19 years old Isabella took on the role of regent. For the next 20 years she traveled and in 1525 she purchased the estate of land known as Soloralo where she acted as sole regent and could implement her own procedures and ideals. In 1527 she witnessed the sack of Rome and converted her home into a shelter for people needing refuge and ended up housing around 2,000 people. Luckily hers was one of the homes which remained unscathed. She died in 1539 at the age of 64. It cannot be denied that Isabella was a skilled diplomat and was a great asset to the administrative and political landscape of Mantua but she is best known as a patron and lover of the arts. It didn't take long after her marriage to Francesco before Isabella started engaging with artists to decorate a special suite in her apartments. This particular suite was for displaying the paintings, antiquities, cameos, portraits, books, sculptures and other precious goods she had collected. The studiolo or study was the centerpiece which connected to a smaller chamber below which is known as the grotta or grotto by a staircase. This area was used to display her curated art pieces which exemplified her philosophic values, her substantial learning and her personal tastes. It would have been a space for private meditation and to entertain select visitors of the court. To be a patron was to be a financial backer of a piece of art and a patron was often also in control of the subject matter, size, materials and location of the piece of art. Isabella had her portrait painted by great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Titian and had art in her collection by Giovanni Bellini, Michelangelo, Francesco Francia and many others. Isabella is also considered a potential subject for Leonardo da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa. Much like her correspondent to Francesco, Isabella also conceived detailed letters of her acquisitions which documents the extent and quality of her These correspondences also give us the voice of Isabella in letter form as well as an insight into art patronage and the processes of it in the renaissance. Isabella was seen as a counterpart to the renaissance men and her legacy was forged through her patronage to the arts. Can you think of a type of art patronage in the modern day? Let us know down in the comments below. Do you have a If you like this video make sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel so you don't miss out on our new videos every Tuesday and Friday. This video was brought to you by World History Encyclopedia. For more great articles and interactive content head to our website via the link below. If you like my shirt you can find this design and a bunch more on our shop which I will link for you down below. Thank you so much for watching and we'll see you soon with another video.