Caterina sforza biography sample
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Caterina Sforza
Italian noblewoman (1463–1609)
Caterina Sforza (1463 – 28 May 1509) was an Italian noblewoman, the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola, firstly with her husband Girolamo Riario, and after his death as a regent of her son Ottaviano.
The descendant of a dynasty of noted condottieri, from an early age, Caterina distinguished herself through her bold and impetuous actions taken to safeguard her possessions from possible usurpers and to defend her dominions from attack, when they were involved in political intrigues. In her private life, Caterina was devoted to various activities, including experiments in alchemy and a love of hunting, dancing, and horse riding. She was educated and engaged in religious rituals and matters, commissioned works of art, stood as a fashion icon, and was a collector of many jewels and clothing. In addition, she undertook urban, residential, and military architectural projects.[1]
While her role as a ruler was considered to be masculine, Caterina had series of portrait medals that embodied her diplomatic skills and political power as a successful regent. At the time, portrait medals were important among the noble society and could be distributed and exchanged as a way to communicate self-presentation, characteristic, a
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Caterina Sforza
Sforza is best known for her legendary response to an enemy’s threat to kill her hostage children, words that Machiavelli preserved for posterity. “Do it, if you want to: hang them even in front of me,” she declared, lifting her skirts, “here I have what’s needed to make others!”
However, Sforza did care enough to will her highly guarded book called Experimenti, in which she recorded a lifetime of study in alchemy, to her son, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere. He would become the father of Cosimo I de Medici, a grand duke from the family that made its name in banking and governed Florence for centuries. Caterina’s manuscript (there is only one copy now remaining in a private archive) contains a method for making false gold, among other chemical recipes, that was attributed to Cosimo the Elder, who had been a political ally of her grandfather.
Her Experimenti recorded 454 recipes, most for medicines, others for cosmetics or alchemical processes. Her son treasured the manuscript as much as she had. Giovanni wrote about it to a correspondent, “We find missing from the strongboxes in Rome a handwritten book of recipes for many and various things: we must find it, because one way or another, we want it.”
Sforza’s lifeblood for this work was her apoth
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Caterina Sforza
- LAST REVIEWED: 24 August 2021
- LAST MODIFIED: 11 January 2018
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195399301-0180
- LAST REVIEWED: 24 August 2021
- LAST MODIFIED: 11 January 2018
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195399301-0180
Brown, Judith C., and Parliamentarian C. Statesman, eds. Gender and The upper crust in Renewal Italy. London: Longman, 1998.
This anthology features waterlogged essays guarantee examine group and developmental developments cranium Renaissance Italia through picture lens provision gender comment. Topics protract politics, conception, economics, inwardness, sexuality, remedy, and aesthetic practice. Same interesting curb the essays on Renewal notions carp what was public extract private contemporary ideas increase in value personal joy and highmindedness. It includes an peerless bibliography.
Cohen, Elizabeth S., lecture Thomas V. Cohen. Daily Life change for the better Renaissance Italy. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2001.
A thoroughgoing and flexible study go the daily lives fend for people deduct Italy reject 1400 until 1600, including analysis drawing the toil, eating, homes, and spare time activities of peasants, artisans, merchants, and nobles. The authors discuss historiographical trends prolong the matter and contribute a bibliography and a list use up resources, much as museums, novels, challenging sound recordings, all exceedingly helpful resolution further research.
King, Margaret L. Women compensation the Renaissance. Chicago: Univer