Lucrezia Tornabuoni
Encyclopedia
Lucrezia Tornabuoni was a daughter of Francesco di Simone Tornabuoni and Nanna di Niccolo di Luigi Guicciardini. Her brother was Giovanni Tornabuoni
.
, son of Cosimo de' Medici
, a wealthy banker from Florence
. The Tornabuoni family had been living in exile but Cosimo de' Medici helped the family return to their home in Florence
. The marriage between Piero and Lucrezia helped to seal the alliance.
Lucrezia, apparently wise and tolerant, even raised Maria, an illegitimate daughter of Piero, together with her own children.
Lucrezia and Piero made sure that their children acquired good taste in literary culture the fine arts and also hired tutors to educate them in such subjects as philosophy, business and accounting, and politics.
, especially in the Roman
courts. To improve the family's social status, Lucrezia arranged for her son, Lorenzo to marry Clarice Orsini
. Clarice's dowry was 6,000 florins. She arrived in Florence on 4 June 1469. In some ways the marriage had been a mistake, at first Lorenzo wasn't very fond of his bride; he preferred to take a mistress, Lucrezia Donati. Clarice wasn't popular in Florence either.
Lucrezia's husband, Piero died in 1469 of gout and lung disease. After his death, she gained more freedom and she bought real estate in and around Pisa
. She also took a lease on a spa near Volterra
, which she changed into a profitable health resort.
Lucrezia died in 1482 aged fifty-six or fifty-seven; by the time of her death, she had many grandchildren. Catherine de' Medici
was one of her descendants.
Lucrezia also wrote sonnets, which she read to famous poets, comparing them with their compositions. Nobody knows the actual dates of when the sonnets were written. Her five poems remain of a biblical theme (the sacred stories), eight laudi (sacred hymns to folk music) and a song in the vernacular, inspired by the works of those poets who Lucrezia and Piero taught. They family had a chapel built called the Chapel of the Visitation in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. She wrote stories about Esther
, Susanna, Tobias, John the Baptist
and Judith. She recommended poets in her circle to use chivalric themes, which some of them did.
There are several portraits of Lucrezia that we know of; one was Madonna of the Magnificat
, painted by Sandro Botticelli
.
s of the The Dinner Party
, an installation art
work by feminist artist Judy Chicago
.
Giovanni Tornabuoni
thumb|right|[[Donor portrait]] of Giovanni Tornabuoni in the [[Tornabuoni Chapel]], by Domenico Ghirlandaio.Giovanni Tornabuoni was an Italian merchant, banker and patron of the arts from Florence....
.
Biography
In 1444, Lucrezia was married to Piero di Cosimo de' MediciPiero di Cosimo de' Medici
Piero di Cosimo de' Medici , , was the de facto ruler of Florence from 1464 to 1469, during the Italian Renaissance. He was the father of Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giuliano de' Medici-Biography:Piero was born in Florence, the son of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder and Contessina de' Bardi...
, son of Cosimo de' Medici
Cosimo de' Medici
Còsimo di Giovanni degli Mèdici was the first of the Medici political dynasty, de facto rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance; also known as "Cosimo 'the Elder'" and "Cosimo Pater Patriae" .-Biography:Born in Florence, Cosimo inherited both his wealth and his expertise in...
, a wealthy banker from Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. The Tornabuoni family had been living in exile but Cosimo de' Medici helped the family return to their home in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. The marriage between Piero and Lucrezia helped to seal the alliance.
Children
In total, Piero and Lucrezia had six children, but the youngest two died in infancy. Their surviving children were:- Bianca de' Medici (1445–1488), married Guglielmo de' Pazzi and was mother to fifteen children.
- Lucrezia de' MediciNannina de' MediciNannina de' Medici, was born under the name Lucrezia , and was the third daughter of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. She is also known as Lucrezia di Piero de' Medici. She was the older sister of Lorenzo de' Medici...
(1448–1493), married Bernardo RucellaiBernardo RucellaiAlso known as Bernardus Oricellarius was born in 1448 or 1449 and died on October 7, 1514. An oligarch, banker, ambassador and man-of-letters, his influence was far-reaching...
. She is also known as Nannina. - Lorenzo de' MediciLorenzo de' MediciLorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets...
(1449–1492), Lord of Florence and was married to Clarice OrsiniClarice OrsiniClarice Orsini was the daughter of Jacopo Orsini, Lord of Monterotondo and Bracciano, and his wife and cousin Maddalena Orsini. Born in the Papal States, she is most known as the wife of Lorenzo de' Medici , de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic...
. - Giuliano de' Medici (1453–1478), father of Pope Clement VIIPope Clement VIIClement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
.
Lucrezia, apparently wise and tolerant, even raised Maria, an illegitimate daughter of Piero, together with her own children.
Lucrezia and Piero made sure that their children acquired good taste in literary culture the fine arts and also hired tutors to educate them in such subjects as philosophy, business and accounting, and politics.
Marriage arrangements
Lucrezia and Piero now wanted to be accepted outside of FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, especially in the Roman
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
courts. To improve the family's social status, Lucrezia arranged for her son, Lorenzo to marry Clarice Orsini
Clarice Orsini
Clarice Orsini was the daughter of Jacopo Orsini, Lord of Monterotondo and Bracciano, and his wife and cousin Maddalena Orsini. Born in the Papal States, she is most known as the wife of Lorenzo de' Medici , de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic...
. Clarice's dowry was 6,000 florins. She arrived in Florence on 4 June 1469. In some ways the marriage had been a mistake, at first Lorenzo wasn't very fond of his bride; he preferred to take a mistress, Lucrezia Donati. Clarice wasn't popular in Florence either.
Political importance
Since she, in contrast to her husband, was of a noble line, she helped creating bridges between her husband's family and the nobility. Her advice was sought by many and she received both high and low-born people.Lucrezia's husband, Piero died in 1469 of gout and lung disease. After his death, she gained more freedom and she bought real estate in and around Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
. She also took a lease on a spa near Volterra
Volterra
Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:...
, which she changed into a profitable health resort.
Lucrezia died in 1482 aged fifty-six or fifty-seven; by the time of her death, she had many grandchildren. Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
was one of her descendants.
In culture
Esther
Esther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
, Susanna, Tobias, John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and Judith. She recommended poets in her circle to use chivalric themes, which some of them did.
There are several portraits of Lucrezia that we know of; one was Madonna of the Magnificat
Madonna of the Magnificat (Botticelli)
The Madonna of the Magnificat is a painting by the Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, executed in 1481. It is housed in the Uffizi, Florence.This work portrays the Virgin Mary crowned by two angels...
, painted by Sandro Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance...
.
In art
Lucrezia is one of 999 notable women in history whose name is inscribed on the white floor of triangular porcelain tilePorcelain tile
Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles with a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 percent that are used to cover floors and walls. They can either be unglazed or glazed....
s of the The Dinner Party
The Dinner Party
The Dinner Party is an installation artwork by feminist artist Judy Chicago depicting place settings for 39 mythical and historical famous women. It was produced from 1974 to 1979 as a collaboration and was first exhibited in 1979. Subsequently, despite art world resistance, it toured to 16 venues...
, an installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
work by feminist artist Judy Chicago
Judy Chicago
Judy Chicago is a feminist artist, author, and educator.Chicago has been creating artwork since the mid 1960s. Her earliest forays into the art world coincided with the rise of Minimalism, which she eventually abandoned in favor of art she believed to have greater content and relevance...
.