In 1509, Isabella's husband, Francesco, was captured by the forces of King Charles VIII of France, and held in Venice as a prisoner. In his absence, Isabella served as regent, defending the city as commander of the city's forces. She negotiated a peace treaty that provided for her husband's sae return in 1512.
After this, the relationship between Francesco and Isabella deteriorated. He had already begun to be publicly unfaithful before his capture, and returned quite ill. He frequented prostitutes, and Isabella moved to Rome, where she was also quite popular and a center of arts and culture.
In 1519, when Francesco died (probably of syphilis), their son Federico became the marquis. Isabella served as his regent until he became of age, and after that, her son took advantage of her popularity, keeping her in a prominent role in governing the city.
In 1527, again in Rome, Isabella d'Este bought a cardinalate for her son Ercole, paying 40,000 ducats to the Pope who needed money to face attacks by Bourbon forces. When the enemy attacked Rome, Isabella led the defense of her fortified property, and she and many who had taken refuge with her were spared when Rome was laid waste. Isabella's son Ferrante was among the Imperial troops.
Soon, Isabella returned to Mantua, where she led her city's recovery from illness and famine, reportedly taking almost one-third of the population.
Isabella went the next year to Ferrara to welcome the new bride of Duke Ercole of Ferrara: Renée of France, daughter of Anne of Brittany (Anne de Bretagne) and Louis XII, and sister-in-law of Francis I, herself a well-educated woman, cousin of Marguerite of Navarre. They had been married in Paris on June 28.
Isabella was at Bologna in 1530 when Emperor Charles V was crowned by the Pope. She was able to convince the Emperor to raise her son's status to that of Duke of Mantua. She was also able to negotiate a marriage for him to Margherita Paleologa, an heiress; their son was born in 1533.
Isabella d'Este became ruler in her own right of a small city-state, Solarolo in 1529. She actively governed that territory until she died in 1539.
Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party featured Isabella d'Este as one of the place settings.
Background, Family:
- Mother: Eleonora of Aragon, also known as Leonora of Naples, daughter of Ferdinand I of Naples and Isabel de Claremont
- Father: Ercole I d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara
- Siblings:
- Isabella, born 1474
- Beatrice d'Este, June 29, 1475 - January 2, 1497
- Alfonso, born 1476
- Ferrante, born 1477
- Ippolitto, born 1479
- Sigismondo, born 1480
Marriage, Children:
- husband: Marquis Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua (1466-1519) (married February 15, 1490; military leader and marquis)
- children:
- Leonora Violante Maria (December 31, 1493/1494 - 1570), married Francesco della Rovere, Duke of Urbino
- daughter (1496-1496)
- Federico (1500-1540), became first Duke of Mantua
- Livia (1501-1508)
- Ippolita (1503-1570), nun
- Ercole (1505-1563), bishop then cardinal; once considered a likely candidate for Pope in 1559 though he was not selected
- Ferrante (1507-1557), soldier for emperor Charles V, commander of Imperial army in Italy in 1537, served as Viceroy of Sicily 1535-1546 and governor of Milan 1546-1554; married Isabella di Capua in 1534; in modern-day legend, he is supposedly one of the Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion
- Livia (1508-?), nun
- Pietro (?)
Books About Isabella d'Este:
- Meyer, Edith P. First Lady of the Renaissance A Biography of Isabella d'Este. 1970.
- Julia Cartwright. Isabella D'Este, Marchioness of Mantua. 1903.
- Julia Cartwright. Beatrice D'Deste, Duchess of Milan. 1903.
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