#duke and Duchess of Ferrara

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

So, erm, I finished reading The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. Erm. Oh my goodness. Five stars. Possibly my favourite book of this year so far. I think I’m really gonna need a minute to let this settle oh my goodness. Historical fiction isn’t usually my go to but this really really just… I don’t even have the words it was just beautiful. This was my introduction to Maggie O’Farrell and I definitely see myself reading more of her work. Erm. Wow. Highly recommended

[tudorblogger]

Book Review - ‘The Marriage Portrait’ by Maggie O’Farrell

Frankly I couldn’t fault this book. It was engaging to read, and the characters came across as real people which is really important when writing historical fiction. Don’t confuse Lucrezia d’Medici with Lucrezia Borgia, though the two are related – Lucrezia d’Medici (the subject of this novel) was married to the grandson of Lucrezia Borgia (Alfonso d’Este). It’s strange to think that while this…

[thetudorslovers]

Two or three of her ladies-in-waiting were pretty. One danced well and another, Lucrezia’s cousin Angela Borgia, was charming. Without her knowing, El Prete had picked her as his favorite. Angela’s charm would be the source of great tragedy in Ferrara; even then it must have been one of the reasons for the nightly visits Alfonso’s brothers made to Lucrezia’s palace.

She was the illegitimate daughter of Guillem Ramon de Borja and Sanoguera, son of Otic de Borja y Montcada and his wife Violant Sanoguera. Her mother was Isabel de Montcada. She was also a niece of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI .In her youth she lived in Rome alongside her cousin Lucretia Borgia, whom she accompanied to Ferrara when she married Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara 

Considered as a woman of great beauty, elegance, romantic, with an exquisitely feminine personality. She was absolutely trustworthy friend, confidant of the innermost secrets, favorite companion and assistant to her favorite cousin Lucretia. She won the praise of men of letters as Diomede Guidalotti who dedicated two sonnets to her, and even Ludovico Ariosto dedicated the last canto of Orlando Furioso to her. Pietro Bembo idealized her as an "angel that can pray for me." On 1 August 1504, in the dedication of his "Gli asolani" to the duchess Lucrezia Borgia refers back to his Angela, indicating that Lucrezia's cousin and maiden is "the dear and gallant Madonna Angela Borgia".

[queenmarytudor]

Mary I's Fight For The Throne

10th February 1553 - Mary and King Edward meet

On the 10th February 1553 Mary rides from her townhouse of Saint John's in Clerkenwell down Fleet Street to see her brother King Edward VI in Westminster. She had arrived in London on the 6th, but that night Edward was "attacked by a fever caused by a chill he had caught". 1 Her visit was therefore delayed three days to allow him time to recover.

She is accompanied to court by "a great number of lords and knights", the "duchess of Suffolk and Northumberland [...] and many more ladies and gentlewomen." 2 She is met at the outer gate by John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, Henry Grey, the Duke of Suffolk, and many more earls, knights and gentlemen, who do "duty and obeisance to her as if she had been Queen of England." 3

After dismounting, she is led up into the chamber of presence, and into the King's bedchamber, where the King "met her and saluted her." 4 Edward "received her very kindly and graciously, and entertained her with small talk, making no mention of matters of religion." 5

After talking, she leaves "accompanied by several gentlemen and ladies, and notably by the Duchesses of Suffolk and Northumberland." 6

While in London, she meets the Imperial ambassador, Jehan Scheyfve, who informs her of a rumour about the Privy Council betrothing her to Alfonso d'Este, eldest son of the Duke of Ferrara. Mary shows "great astonishment and declared it seemed very strange to her that anyone should have concerned himself with her, especially on such a business, because she had so little inclination to marriage." 7

Sources:

1. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

2. Diary of Henry Machyn, February 1553

3. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

4. Diary of Henry Machyn, February 1553

5. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

6. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

7. Spanish State Papers, 17th February 1553

[litcest]

The House of Borgia: End of a Dynasty (Part 4)

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | References |

While the Conclave elected Pope Pius III, Cesare was occupied trying to find allies. His old friend, King Louis XII, came to his aid, issuing a statement to Romagna that their Duke was "alive and well and the friend of the King of France". Not only Cesare had the French's support, but he also counted on Ferrara's troops to protect his claim on Romagna, as Lucrezia had persuaded her husband and father-in-law to fight in her brother's defence.

Once Romagna was relatively stable and Cesare felt better, he returned to Rome, where he met with Pius III and had his position as Captain confirmed. Not only that, but due to Cesare's clever theft of the Papal Treasury, Pius III was left financially dependent on him. By all accounts, Cesare's life would continue on exactly as it had under Rodrigo's papacy.

Unfortunately for Cesare, Pius III died twenty six days after being elected Pope. The next Pope, Julius II, had been an old enemy of Rodrigo, and upon his election, was swift to force the Borgias to surrender their lands in Romagna, even ordering the new Captain of the Papal Forces to arrest Cesare when he refused to comply.

After Cesare's arrest, Julius decided to put him on trial and encouraged those wronged by him to file claims for financial compensation. Not only that, but Julius also charged Cesare with the murder of two cardinals, whose deaths were believed to have been arranged by Rodrigo. These trials never occurred, as in April 1503, Cesare was released in exchange for his remaining territories in Romagna. Once free, he departed for Naples, which was under Spanish rule and where the rest of the Borgias had taken refuge, with the exception og Lucrezia, who remained with her husband in Ferrara. Hardly had Cesare set foot in Naples when he was imprisoned again, as King Ferdinand of Spain wished to hand Cesare back to Julius II in exchange for an alliance against the French.

Cesare would remain imprisoned in Spain until 1506, when he managed to escape prison and seek refuge with his brother-in-law, Juan d'Albret, King of Navarre. Taking advantage of a civil war wrecking through Navarre, Cesare offered his services as a military leader to help King Juan reclaim the kingdom. This would prove to be Cesare's downfall, as on 12 March 1507, he was killed in battle by the revolting troops. 

Six weeks would pass until the news of his death reached Lucrazia, who was, by this point, the Duchess of Ferrara. It's said that upon learning of her brother's fate, she locked herself in her room and began to wail his name. In 1508, Lucrezia would finally give birth to a son by d'Este, named Ercole II, who would be followed by Ippolito in 1509, Leonora in 1515, Francesco in 1516 and Isabella Maria in 1519. This last birth proved itself to be terribly complicated and claimed the lives of both mother and daughter.

Rodrigo, due to being a pope, was given a tomb in the Basilica di San Pietro, near his uncle's resting place. In 1586, Rodrigo's bones were dug up and placed on a casket alongside Alfonso's, which, in 1610, was taken to Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli, where the casket was set aside and forgotten about until 1864, when it was unexpectedly found. It would take until 1889 for the joined remains to be once again given a proper tomb, with a stone memorial being carved in honour of Alfonso and Rodrigo.

Cesare was buried in a tomb by Juan d'Albret in the church of Santa Maria of Viana, in front of the high altar. His tomb, however, was destroyed by the bishop of Calahorra some time later, with Cesare's body being dumped in a hole outside the church. In 1945, the remains were exhumed and an autopsy was performed. The remains then bounced from place to place until finally being reburied in the church in 2007. 

Lucrezia, meanwhile, was buried in Monastero del Corpus Domini, in Ferrara, alongside the other Dukes and Duchess of Ferrara. In time, Alfonso d'Este joined her, as did her children and grandchildren

Thus, the era of Borgia dominance came to a close. Although the family continued to hold titles in the subsequent years (most notably, Rodrigo's great-grandson, Francis Borgia, was canonized as a saint) they never reclaimed the formidable power they once commanded during Rodrigo's papacy. Yet, Rodrigo, Cesare, and Lucrezia did not fade into obscurity. Their legacy endured, capturing the public imagination for centuries to come. Indeed, as the chronicles of their lives spread through the courts of Europe, their reputation grew, blending reality and legend. Their lives continue to fascinate audiences, inspiring countless reinterpretations in literature, drama, and visual media even to this day.

[sorryimananti-romantic]

BESTIEEEE I was reading another poem called "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browing and it's about this Duke of Ferrara Who's addressing a message bearer who came from his future wife's side. He's showing him the painting of his last wife who died. As he tells the guest about the painting he reveals things about his late wife and through that, things about himself. He tells the guest how his wife used to be a pleasant lady, too pleasant in fact. She used to smile at everyone, no matter what class they belonged to and used to be courteous to everyone. Hold up lemme quote a few things so you can understand the context.

"... 'twas not Her husband's presence only, called that spot of joy into the Duchess' cheek; perhaps Pandolf chanced to say, "Her mantle laps over my lady's wrist too much,"..."

pandolf= Painter of the Duchess' portrait.

"She had a heart- how shall I say?- Too soon made glad, Too easily impressed..."

Basically, what the Duchess saw as mere courtesy, the Duke thought was characterless. He suspected that she was adulterous. His speech shows his jealous, obsessive, and possessive character.

In the end, the Duke kills the Duchess out of jealousy and suspicion.

Now, since I'm in my Ateez villain era, if this was a plot of fanfiction or a drama, who do you think would fit the role? My first thought was Joong but then I thought about it and Seonghwa popped up in my mind. I wanna hear your opinions on it too~

omgg for like half a semester all we did was study this poem. and it's so wonderful bc this problem still prevails today like 😃😃 like all a woman does is breathe and men (not all men i know but always the men) will find a problem with that too. men are jelly like that 🤡 and like this duke really got zero chill when it comes to his wife it was so infuriating to discuss this in class lmaoo

but omg. ateez villain era? trust you to make sth out of this. look all our atz bois are good bois (as far as we know LMAO) but like suppose in a fictional world, someone were to play that character. i get why hongjoong seems like an easy choice, and i get why you think seonghwa too- he would seem like a kind young man but be super possessive when they're alone (why do i feel like i've read this)

i'll vote for seonghwa and san. they would play these roles so well- sweet and kind asf to the world, showing off their wife and everything. smiling at their wife when she displays her good, curteous manners. and as soon as they're behind closed doors? 😃

i'd like to point out the reason they could play this character so well bc they seem to be the sweetest dudes but they also seem like hot villains and that's the combo we need (again, i feel like i've read this somewhere?? help??)

thoughts?

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf. Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble? As Lucrezia sits in constricting finery for a painting intended to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court’s eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess’s future hangs entirely in the balance. Full of the beauty and emotion with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell turns her talents to Renaissance Italy in an extraordinary portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her very survival.

[readitreviewit]

Lucrezia de' Medici was the apple of her father's eye. As the third daughter of the grand duke, she was content with her obscure place in the palace. She spent her days admiring the treasures, the clandestine workings and engaging in her artistic pursuits without any concern about the outside world. However, her life took an unexpected turn when her older sister unexpectedly passed away before her wedding to the regent of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio. The Duke quickly requested her hand in marriage, and her father was quick to accept on her behalf. Lucrezia, having barely left her girlhood behind, must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Most mystifying of all is her new husband, Alfonso, who is not what he seems to be. In this historical fiction, Maggie O’Farrell weaves a story of a young woman's battle for her very survival. As Lucrezia starts to navigate through the unfamiliar court, she faces various challenges that eventually compel her to fight for autonomy. From the author of Hamnet, O’Farrell brings the world of Renaissance Italy to life in an unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici. Her writing style is so vivid and immersive, I could barely put the book down. The imagery is breathtaking and the characters are so well-crafted that readers can't help but feel invested in their fates. The novel is set in Florence, Italy, during the 1550s. O'Farrell's attention to historical detail is impressive, and she successfully transports readers to a bygone era that is rich in tradition and culture. By lacing the narrative with little threads of historical detail, she creates an immersive and authentic experience for readers. Lucrezia's character is captivating, and you can't help but root for her throughout the story. She's intelligent, ambitious, and resilient - the perfect combination of qualities for a leader. Her fight for autonomy and independence is awe-inspiring, and her journey is both emotional and empowering. In the court's eyes, Lucrezia has one duty: to provide an heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess's future hangs entirely in the balance. This puts immense pressure on her throughout the book, as she feels like her worth is measured solely by her ability to produce an heir. However, despite the heavy themes, the story is ultimately a riveting tale about one woman's fight for autonomy. It's a story that empowers readers to embrace their individuality and to never stop fighting for what they believe in. In conclusion, I could not put this book down. Maggie O'Farrell's writing style is so captivating that it transports readers to another world. The characters are well-crafted, the storyline is immersive, and the themes are both empowering and thought-provoking. If you're a fan of historical fiction, then this book is an absolute must-read. So, grab a copy and prepare to be transported to Renaissance Italy! Don't miss out on the thrilling experience of "insert book title here"! Get your hands on a copy now or sign up for a 30-day trial on Audible and immerse yourself in the captivating story. Don't wait, indulge in this incredible adventure today! Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details)

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

So fun fact My Last Duchess (Robert Browning) is one my favourite poems and I am currently reading The Marriage Portrait (Maggie O’Farrel) and quickly falling in love with it and one of my favourite songs is Portrait of a Dead Girl (The Last Dinner Party) and I don’t think you understand how I can never recommend enough times that if you love one of these things individually you should check out the others and if you don’t know any of them you should introduce yourself to them because *screams*

(Btw for added context The Marriage Portrait and My Last Duchess are both inspired by the same historical figures Duke Alfonso II d’Este (fifth Duke of Ferrara) and Duchess Lucretia do Cosimo d’Este (née de’ Medici). Lucretia was much younger than him and died at 16, within the first year of their marriage. Her official cause of death was putrid fever but it has been popular theorised that Alfonso poisoned her. My Last Duchess describes the painting that Alfonso had commissioned of her, known as her marriage portrait. I included Portrait of a Dead Girl in this because the themes are very similar and it makes me think of her when I listen to it. ALSO: I’m not classing this as spoilers for the book because it is real history and the book tells you what happens to Lucretia all the way through the beginning including in the epigraph, but if anyone thinks I should tag this as spoilers let me know and I’ll add it)

[shebafatma24]

"My Last Duchess" stands as a poignant dramatic monologue, a brilliant work crafted by the renowned poet Robert Browning. Through this compelling poem, ...

[the-paintrist]

Ottava rima is a rhyming stanza form of Italian origin. Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, it later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. Its earliest known use is in the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio.

The ottava rima stanza in English consists of eight iambic lines, usually iambic pentameters. Each stanza consists of three alternate rhymes and one double rhyme, following the ABABABCC rhyme scheme. The form is similar to the older Sicilian octave, but evolved separately and is unrelated. The Sicilian octave is derived from the medieval strambotto and was a crucial step in the development of the sonnet, whereas the ottava rima is related to the canzone, a stanza form.

Torquato Tasso (11 March 1544 – 25 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem Gerusalemme liberata (Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the Siege of Jerusalem of 1099.

Tasso had mental illness and died a few days before he was to be crowned on the Capitoline Hill as the king of poets by Pope Clement VIII. His work was widely translated and adapted, and until the beginning of the 20th century, he remained one of the most widely read poets in Europe.

Jerusalem Delivered, also known as The Liberation of Jerusalem (Italian: La Gerusalemme liberata; lit. 'The freed Jerusalem'), is an epic poem by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso, first published in 1581, that tells a largely mythified version of the First Crusade in which Christian knights, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, battle Muslims in order to take Jerusalem. Tasso began work on the poem in the mid-1560s. Originally, it bore the title Il Goffredo. It was completed in April, 1575 and that summer the poet read his work to Duke Alfonso of Ferrara and Lucrezia, Duchess of Urbino. A pirate edition of 14 cantos from the poem appeared in Venice in 1580. The first complete editions of Gerusalemme liberata were published in Parma and Ferrara in 1581.

Tasso's choice of subject matter, an actual historic conflict between Christians and Muslims (albeit with fantastical elements added), had a historical grounding and created compositional implications (the narrative subject matter had a fixed endpoint and could not be endlessly spun out in multiple volumes) that are lacking in other Renaissance epics. Like other works of the period that portray conflicts between Christians and Muslims, this subject matter had a topical resonance to readers of the period when the Ottoman Empire was advancing through Eastern Europe.

The poem was hugely successful, and sections or moments from the story were used in works in other media all over Europe, especially in the period before the French Revolution and the Romantic movement, which provided alternative stories combining love, violence, and an exotic setting.

The poem is composed of 1,917 stanzas in ottava rima (15,336 hendecasyllabic lines), grouped into twenty cantos of varying length. The work belongs to the Italian Renaissance tradition of the romantic epic poem, and Tasso frequently borrows plot elements and character types directly from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso. Tasso's poem also has elements inspired by the classical epics of Homer and Virgil (especially in those sections of their works that tell of sieges and warfare). One of the most characteristic literary devices in Tasso's poem is the emotional conundrum endured by characters torn between their heart and their duty; the depiction of love at odds with martial valour or honor is a central source of lyrical passion in the poem.

Fabio Fabbi (18 July 1861, Bologna - 24 September 1946, Casalecchio di Reno) was an Italian Orientalist painter and illustrator.

La Gerusalemme liberata by Fabio Fabbi

Gerusalemme liberata, (“Jerusalem Liberated”) heroic epic poem in ottava rima, the masterpiece of Torquato Tasso. He completed it in 1575 and then spent several years revising it. While he was incarcerated in the asylum of Santa Anna, part of the poem was published without his knowledge as Il Goffredo; he published the complete epic in 1581. It was published in English as Jerusalem Delivered. Gerusalemme liberata tells of the Christian army led by Godfrey of Bouillon during the last months of the First Crusade, which recovered Jerusalem from the Turks in 1099.

[isadomna]

“ But a few days afterwards, while Duke Ercole was away from Ferrara, his wife was surprised by a sudden rising, the result of a deep-laid conspiracy, secretly planned by his nephew, Niccolo, a bastard son of Leonello d'Este. Niccolo's first endeavour was to seize on the person of the duchess and her young children, an attempt which almost proved successful, but was fortunately defeated by Leonora's own courage and presence of mind. The palace was already surrounded by armed men, when the alarm reached the ears of the duchess, and, springing out of bed with her infant son in her arms, followed by her two little daughters and a few faithful servants, she fled by the covered way to the Castello. Hardly had she left her room, when the conspirators rushed in and sacked the palace, killing all who tried to offer resistance. The people of Ferrara, however, were loyal to their beloved duke and duchess. After a few days of anxious suspense, Ercole returned, and soon quelled the tumult and restored order in the city. That evening he appeared on the balcony of the Castello, and publicly embraced his wife and children amid the shouts and applause of the whole city. The next day the whole ducal family went in solemn procession to the Cathedral, and there gave public thanks for their marvellous deliverance. A terrible list of cruel reprisals followed upon this rebellion, and Niccolo d'Este himself, with two hundred of his partisans, were put to death after the bloody fashion of the times. “-  Julia Cartwright, Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Milan, 1475-1497

[aethelfleds]

I’ve been researching Beatrice d’Este for a week and my favorite thing I’ve discovered is that, as a second daughter and not the son her parents wanted, she wasn’t given much thought as a baby. But when she was ~2 her mother took her to visit her grandfather the King of Naples, and he absolutely loved her. Like he got so attached that he literally adopted Beatrice and she lived with him for 8 years. 

[dailyborgia]

Borgia, Lucrezia, in “Dominae fortunae suae [Mrs. own Fortune]. La forza trasformatrice dell’ingegno femminile [The transforming power of female ingenuity ]": 

Lucrezia, a Ferrara, diede anche prova di una compiuta maturità politica e istituzionale. Nell’agosto del 1503 era morto suo padre, Alessandro VI, e al soglio papale veniva eletto, dopo il breve pontificato di Pio III, l’acerrimo nemico dei Borgia, papa Giulio II (della Rovere). Il nuovo ordine politico portò, dopo una breve resistenza, alla riconquista pontificia della signoria romagnola di Cesare Borgia, nonostante gli aiuti militari inviati dalla sorella. Nel 1505, dopo la morte del duca Ercole I d’Este e l’incoronazione del marito Alfonso, Lucrezia divenne ufficialmente duchessa di Ferrara. In questi anni ella svolse con diligenza le mansioni che il marito le affidava sia in tempo di pace, sia durante le assenze per le campagne militari. Fu deputata dal marito alla gestione delle istanze dei cittadini presso il principe, che svolse, come riferisce un relatore contemporaneo, con “ingegno e bona gratia”.

Lucrezia, in Ferrara, also gave proof of a complete political and institutional maturity. In August 1503 his father, Alexander VI, had died and he was coming to the papal throne elected, after the brief pontificate of Pius III, the bitter enemy of the Borgias, Pope Julius II (della Rovere). The new political order led, after a short resistance, to the reconquest papal of the Romagna lordship of Cesare Borgia, despite the military aid sent from his sister. In 1505, after the death of Duke Ercole I d’Este and the coronation of husband Alfonso, Lucrezia officially became Duchess of Ferrara. In these years she she diligently carried out the duties that her husband entrusted to her both in peacetime and during absences for military campaigns. She was deputed by her husband to the management of the petitions of citizens to the prince, which he carried out, as reported by a speaker contemporary, with “ingenuity and bona gratia”. (David Salomoni)

[malkaleh]

Children Of A Golden World: Elizabeth & Robert Dudleys Children In My Tudors OT3 Universe. 

Anne (Nan/Nanette/Astra) Tudor-Dudley (b.1552): 3rd Duchess Of Pembroke (after her mother and maternal grandmother) and Countess of Exeter by marriage to Matthew Cecil (Son of William Cecil). Succeeded her uncle Prince George as spymaster and advisor to her cousin Turhan (Thomas II).  Mother of eight children - William, Robert, Elizabeth, George, Anne, Turhan, Henry & Mihrimah. 

Henry (Harry) (b. 1557): 2nd Duke of Leicester (after his father). Married to Cecily, daughter of John de Vere, 16th Earl Of Oxford. Father of three - Robert, Mihrimah & Thomas. 

Thomas (Thom) (b, 1557): In charge of the Leicester estates. Married to Halime, Lady Stanley, daughter of the Earl of Stanley and Rabia, Countess of Stanley and father to four daughters - Elizabeth, Maryam, Soraya and Philippa. 

Robert (Robbie) (b. 1559): Lord High Admiral. Envoy to his cousin Maryam’s court in Persia. Travel writer. Father of one daughter Parisa by Tahmina, the daughter of a Persian Merchant with whom he lived with in Persia. 

Mary (Marian/Marie) (b. 1580 - d. 1680): Duchess of Ferrara by her first marriage and Countess of Surrey by her second. Lived through the the English Civil War and the restoration and thus the execution of her several times great nephew King Arthur Jahan and the return of the monarchy under Queen Charlotte Askala. She sheltered many refugees (particularly Jewish families) under the Restorationist Regime and smuggled out many using her contacts in Italy. Mother of six children (four by her first husband Alfonso The Duke of Ferrera - Francesco, Giovanni, Contessina & Lorenzo and two by her second husband Turhan (Earl Of Surrey) - twins Turhan & Mihrimah. 

[jeannedarcenthusiast]

Lucrezia Borgia duchess consort of Ferrara, Governor of Spoleto (1480 – 1519):

Illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress Vannozza Cattanei.

Married (I) 1493, Giovanni Sforza, lord of Pesaro, (2) 1498, Alfonso d’Aragona, Duke of Bisceglie, (3) 1501, Alfonso d’Este, later Duke of Ferrara.

“As Duchess of Ferrara, Lucrezia was required to be both splendid and domestic, playing a multitude of roles – Governor of the state, leader of a brilliant court, hostess, mother and wife.”

Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love, and Death in Renaissance Italy by Sarah Bradford.