 |
| Pope Leo X @Wikipedia |
(1475-1521)
Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici
1513-1521
Cardinal
1489-1513
Son of: Lorenzo the Magnificent & Clarice Orsini.
His lovers were:
2) Marie Gaudin (1490/95-?)
Dame de la Bourdaisiere.
Dame de la Bourdaisiere.
 |
| Marcantonio Flaminio @Wikipedia |
3) Marcantonio Flaminio (1497-1550)
Italian humanist poet.
 |
| Pope Clement VII @Wikipedia |
(1478-1534)
Giuliano di Giuliano I de' Medici
Pope
1523-1534
Son of: Giuliano I de' Medici & Antonietta del Cittadino.
"Giulio was the illegitimate son of Antonietta del Cittadino and Giuliano (d.1478), brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent. He was born posthumously and was raised in the household of his famous uncle. Leo X had him legitimized so that he could become a cardinal and ultimately pope. At the conclave of 1523, it was Cardinal Pompeo Colonna (1479-1532) who cast the deciding vote in favor of Giulio. Giulio became Pope Clement VII (1523-1534); as a reward for his support, Cardinal Colonna received the Riario palace in Rome and the office of vice-chancellor." (Papal Genealogy: The Families and Descendants of the Popes: 74)
His lover was:
Simonetta da Collavechio.
[Ref1]
"Alessandro de' Medici...is generally accepted...son of a black kitchen maid named Simonetta and the seventeen-year-old Giulio de' Medici, who was to become Pope Clement VII. . . ." (Hewson: 469)
"Officially, Alessandro was the illegitimate son of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492-1519), but it was rumoured that Lorenzo's cousin Giulio (later Pope Clement VII), had fathered him. Alessandro's mother, Simonetta, was allegedly a Moorish slave who had worked in the household of Lorenzo and his parents during their exile in Rome. . . ." (Africans)
" . . . Alessandro was believed to have been born in 1511 to Giulio de' Medici (later Pope Clement) and a servant or Moorish slave, 'Simonetta,' in Alfonsina Medici's house in Rome. A letter addressing him in 1529 as 'Alessandro Figliuolo carissimo,' begging his help because of her destitution testifies to his maternity. . . ." (Langdon: 42)
"He began his papacy in November 1523, though technically he should have been barred from it owing to his illegitimate birth. Although he carried little stigma in social terms, it still created a legal barrier to any career in the church. His father, Giuliano de' Medici, the brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent, was killed one month before he was born. They had both been attacked in the Cathedral of Florence by enemies of their family who were trying to end Medici rule in the city. The mother of the child soon to be born was probably Fioretta Gorini, the daughter of a University Professor. Giulio spent the first years of his life with his godfather, the architect Antonio da Sangallo." (Women of the Vatican: Female Power in a Male World)
His lover was:
Simonetta da Collavechio
a Moorish mistress.
Natural offspring:
Alessandro I de' Medici (1510-1537)
"Giulio took as a mistress a 'Moorish or mulatto slave' who was actually the wife of a mule-driver employed by his aunt. The woman was named Simonetta de Collevecchipo and a boy child was born to them in 1510 and was named Alessandro. That this child was brought up as the child of Lorenzo II de' Medici (grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent), was surprising, as there was little or no stigma in any man, even a cardinal, having fathered a child, and there seems to have been no reason for the apparent secrecy at the time. However, the child's appearance made him stand out as his African ancestry was obvious. The portrait of him as an adult by Agnolo Bronzino clearly shows him to have African facial characteristics. . . ." (Women of the Vatican: Female Power in a Male World)
"Alessandro de' Medici . . . is generally accepted . . . son of a black kitchen maid named Simonetta and the seventeen-year-old Giulio de' Medici, who was to become Pope Clement VII. . . ." (The Garden of Evil: 469)
"Officially, Alessandro was the illegitimate son of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492-1519), but it was rumoured that Lorenzo's cousin Giulio (later Pope Clement VII), had fathered him. Alessandro's mother, Simonetta, was allegedly a Moorish slave who had worked in the household of Lorenzo and his parents during their exile in Rome. . . ." (Africans in Medieval & Renaissance Art: Duke Alessandro de' Medici @V&A Museum)
" . . . Alessandro was believed to have been born in 1511 to Giulio de' Medici (later Pope Clement) and a servant or Moorish slave, 'Simonetta,' in Alfonsina Medici's house in Rome. A letter addressing him in 1529 as 'Alessandro Figliuolo carissimo,' begging his help because of her destitution testifies to his maternity. . . ." (Medici Women: 42)
Langdon, 2006, p. 42)
Beneficiaries of Pope Clement VII's pontificate: " . . . Clement now made Alessandro de' Medici (his illegitimate son by a Nubian slave) into the first duke of Florence. Thus the government remained in the hands of the papacy. Wishing to secure harmony with both the king of France and the Holy Roman emperor, Clement married Lorenzo de' Medici's great-grand-daughter Caterina (the legitimate daughter of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne) to the French kin's son. Caterina was to become the queen of France, wife of King Henry II. Clement himself performed the marriage ceremony." (Papal Genealogy: 74)
" . . . Clement made his own debauched, illegitimate son Alessandro into the duke of Florence, keeping the legitimate heir, Lorenzino, of a cadet branch of the Medici family, from assuming any power. . . ." (Papal Genealogy: 74)
"During his pontificate, Clement VII concerned himself primarily with the affairs of his family and with Florence. His cousin Ippolito, who was the son of Giuliano, Duke of Nemours (the youngest son of Lorenzo de' Medici), had been appointed the governor of Florence in 1524 and then cardinal; in 1532, he had been nominated vice-chancellor of the church. . . ." (Papal Genealogy: 74)
" . . . The pope appointed his cousin Cardinal Innocenzo Cibo regent of Florence when the duke needed to meet with the emperor in 1532. Upon the death of Clement VII in September 1534, family rivalries became evident." (Papal Genealogy: 74)
 |
| Ippolito de' Medici @Wikipedia |
(1511-1535)
Signore di Firenze
1524-1527
Cardinal de' Medici
1529
 |
| Ippolito de' Medici @RCT |
Ippolito's personal & family background.
"Ippolito de' Medici was the grandson of the famous Florentine idol Lorenzo de' Medici. Ippolito was born in Urbino in 1511 from the union between Giuliano de' Medici and his lover Pacifica Brandani. Tragically, Ippolito's mother died shortly after giving birth and his father Giuliano was killed by political rivals in Florence when the boy was about five years old. With the passing of his father in 1516, five-year-old Ippolito was sent to Rome to be raised by his uncle Giovanni de' Medici who happened to be Pope Leo X. When Pope Leo died in 1521, young Ippolito was turned over to the care of his other uncle Giulio de' Medici who became Pople Clement VII in1523." (Justified by Faith: The intriguing story of Giulia Gonzaga, Countess of Fondi)
"By his wife Filiberta of Savoy, Giuliano de'; Medici left no children; but, before his marriage, he had a natural son, who became an acknowledged branch of the family of the Medici, and, like the rest of his kindred, acquired, within the limits of a short life, a considerable share of reputation. This was the celebrated Ippolito de' Medici, who, dignified with the rank of cardinal, and possessed, by the partiality of Clement VII of an immene revenue, was at once the patron, companion, and the rival of all the poets, musicians, and the wits of his time. Without territories, without subjects, Ippolito maintained at Bologna a court far more splendid than that of any Italian potentate. His associates and attendants, all of whom could boast of some peculiar merit or distinction which had entitled them to his notice, generally formed a body of about three hundred persons. Shocked at his profusion, which only the revenues of the church were competent to supply, Clement VII is said to have engaged the maestro di casa of Ippolito to remonstrate with him on his conduct and to request that he would dismiss some of his attendants as unnecessary to him. 'No,' replied Ippolito, 'I do not retain them in my court because I have occasion for their services, but because they have occasion for mine.' . . . ." (The Life of Lorenzo de Medici: 294)
" . . . Ippolito de' Medici (1511-35) had been installed as a member of the government in Florence by Clement VII, with the aim of eventually becoming its ruler. The Medici, including Ippolito, were driven out in 1527, and Pope Clement decided that Alessandro would make a more effective ruler. Ippolito was made a cardinal and kept away from Florence, but as Alessandro's cruelty raised increasing discontent, several Florentine exiles chose Ippolito as their envoy to Charles V, hoping to persuade the Emperor to remove the tyrant. Ippolito was poisoned (presumably on the orders of Alessandro) on his way to see Charles." (Apology for a Murder)
"A musician, a poet, a womanizer, he was the grandchild of Leo X and the cousin of Clement VII being the illegitimate son of Giuliano de' Medici, Duke of Nemours. Both popes loved him: Leo had himself portrayed with Ippolito as a child by Raphael, Clement made him cardinal in 1529 and, soon after, vice-chancellor of the Church, adding that he was doing so 'judging that he soon will quieten down and acquire a gravity of soul', a piece of papal wishful thinking. When Ippolito met Giulia Gonzaga, the young relative of Vittoria who might have become his stepmother-in-law, he fell in love with her. It was not the same of sensual love that attracted him to Tullia, profane love; it was spiritual love, real, deep, all embracing love. But Giulia was somewhat frightened by men and at this time she left her marvellous castle of Fondi, a medieval structure on a peak, protecting a lovely village, to be with Vittoria in Naples." (Renaissance Woman: 80)
 |
| Ippolito de' Medici |
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
"Ascertaining Ippolito de' Medici's character is rather difficult. Some of his contemporary writers and sycophants such as Paolo Giovio and Francesco Molza described him as handsome and considerate while some rival writers reported he was rather spoiled, arrogant, and temperamental. While the turh often lies somewhere in the middle, what is clear is that Ippolito was intelligent, well-educated, and very ambitious. He loved music and was said to be skilled in playing several instruments. He was fascinated with ancient Roman and Greek mythology and it's believed he translated the Aeneid from Latin to Italian. Ippolito also loved hunting and was known to spend an exorbitant amount of money buying and maintaining Arabian horses and other exotic animals at his spacious estate in Rome. . . ." (Justified by Faith).
"Ippolito de Medici was expected to marry the young Isabella Colonna, step-daughter of Giulia Gonzaga. He was a dashing young man with thin moustache and a carefully trimmed beard, who loved dressing up in different styles and had himself portrayed by Titian as a Hungarian captain, in lush red velvet and a plumed hat, and, as Vasari noted, 'in a second portrait, wearing armour'.
Rumoured love affair with Catherine de' Medici.
"Early in 1531 the rumour circulated that Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici, Catherine's uncle, wanted to marry her. Being slightly older than Alessandro, he viewed himself as the rightful ruler of Florence, a claim which he would have strengthened by marrying his young niece, who was Lorenzo's legitimate heiress. But hec ould not do so as long as he remained a churchman. He was willing enough to be unfrocked, bu Clement had other ideas. He gave him rich benefices and go thim out of the way by sending him to Hungary as legate. A famous portrait by Titian shows Ippolito wearing an elegant Hungarian riding outfit with a diamond spray in his cap; he holds a baton in one hand and a sword in the other." (Catherine de'Medici: 12)
 |
| Ippolito de' Medici @alamy |
Ippolito's end at a young age.
" . . . Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici also decided to set sai in the battle against Barbarossa. Ippolito was also hoping to meet up with King Charles and convince him to depose Alessandro de; Medici as emperor of Florence. Ippolito had always dreamed of becoming leader of his native Florence and resented the fact his cousin Alessandro held the prestigious position. On his way to the port of Gaeta, Ippolito stopped at his palace in nearby Itri for last minute preparations with his entourage. There he suddenly became mysteriously ill and within hours passed away while being consoled and comforted by Giulia Gonzaga. It should be noted that publicists Paolo Giovio and Francesco Molza were also with Cardinal Ippolito when he died on August 10, 1535 in Itri." (Justified by Faith)
His lover was:
 |
| Giulia Gonzaga Countess of Fondi the New Helen |
1) Giulia Gonzaga, Contessa di Fondi (1513-1566)
Giulia's personal & family background.
" . . . Giulia, who was born in 1513, was twenty-three years younger than Vittoria. She had married Vespasiano Colonna, Count of Fondi, Duke of Traetto, when she was only fourteen, and was left a widow at the age of eighteen. She lived at Fondi, a lovely and rich town situated between the frontiers of the pontifical state and the kingdom of Naples, where the best mozzarella di bufala comes from, and there she received the most celebrated poets and writers. . . ." (Renaissance Woman: 80)
"The Gonzagas ruled Mantua for two centuries, but Giulia was the daughter of Lodovico Gonzaga, who headed a secondary branch of the family in Lombardy. Giulia was the youngest surviving child of Lodovico. With two older brothers and five oldre sisters it seemed she might have to join a convent, as did two of her sisters, 'but the cloister had no attraction for Giulia.' Her tutor wrote that she was 'ever ready with comic sayings, yet ever full of courtesy.'. . . ." (Twilight of the Renaissance: 79)
"Longfellow's Julia was none other than the famously beautiful Giulia Gonzaga, Countess of Fondi, the widow of Vittoria's cousin Vespasiano. Vespasiano was the son of the famous condottiere Prospero Colonna, who had fought allongside Vittoria's father on many occasions and had amassed a great deal of wealth. Vespasiano married Giulia in 1526 when she was only thirteen and he was forty; he died less than two years later. Although Vespasiano's will stipulated that Giulia would inherit all of his lands and titles only under the condition that she did not remarry, she was nonetheless courted by many powerful figures in the years to come, including Ippolito de' Medici, a cousin of Pope Clement. Ippolito was in fact supposed to marry Giulia's stepdaughter, Isabella, but instead became a cardinal---and, almost certainly, Giulia's lover. Ippolito commissioned the painter Sebastiano del Piombo to paint Giulia's portrait for him in 1532, several copies of which have survived. One of these is a small painting in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua that appears to have been a portable version for Ippolito to carry before the final portrait was completed. In 1535, Ippolito died under mysterious circumstances; many believed he was poisoned by members of his own family, who were deeply opposed to his love affair with Giulia." (Renaissance Woman: The Life of Vittoria Colonna)
Giulia's marriage.
" . . . In 1526 Isabella Gonzaga, Giulia's older cousin, arranged the marriage of her thirteen-year-old cousin to Vespasiano Colonna, the Duke of Trajetto and Count of Fondi, Giulia's senior by some twenty-eight years. Vespasiano showered Giulia with jewels and paid a 70,000 ducat dowry to the Duke of Mantua as head of the family. He had a daughter from a previous marriage named Isabella, about the same age as Giulia, whom he wanted to use for a good dynastic match." (Twilight of the Renaissance: 79)
"Enter a teenage Ippolito de' Medici prior to his donning the cardinal's cape. Colonna resisted marriage to Ippolito because she had no literary interests. She noticed that when Ippolito visited he only had eyes for Giulia and talked poetry with her all evening. In 1528 Vespasiano Colonna died defending Naples from the French invasion. He left his fifteen-year-old widow 30,000 ducats and the rents from his vast estates as long as she did not remarry. On his deathbed Vespasiano expressed his wish that Isabella marry Ippolito. Instead she married Giulia's brother Luigi, thereby strengthening Gonzaga claims to Vespasiano's disputed estate with the powerful Colonna clan. Thus Giulia was free to become the mistress of Ippolito, who became a cardinal less than a year after Vespasiano's death. In March 1531 Ippolito flooded arenas to stage mock sea battles, and held tournaments all in the name of his love Giulia. Later that year Giulia, still a teenager, moved to Fondi . . . Fondi quickly became the focal point of Medici sodality." (Twilight of the Renaissance: The Life of Juan de Valdes: 80)
"Still, I felt badly for Catherine when she received the distressing news on August 10 that Cardinal Ippolito de Medici died. There were rumors that he had been poisoned by his cousin Alessandro de Medici, Duke of Florence. Indeed, young Ippolito had been known to voice displeasure at Alessandro's abuse of power. It was no secret that the Cardinal died shortly after meeting his lover, Giulia Gonzaga. Giulia went into mourning and joined a convent in Naples." (A Portrait in Black and White: Diane De Poitiers in Her Own Words: 181)[Ref1:79]
A forbidden affair.
" . . . It was rumored that whenever Ippolito could get away from his duties in Rome, he galloped on one of his finest horses to Fondi to meet with Giulia. If they were indeed romantically involved they both had reasons for keeping their relationship a secret. As cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Ippolito was not allowed to get married. As count Colonna's widow, Giulia risked losing her inheritance if ever she decided to marry." (Justified by Faith)
Giulia's lover's death.
"Still, I felt badly for Catherine when she received the distressing news on August 10 that Cardinal Ippolito de Medici died. There were rumors that he had been poisoned by his cousin Alessandro de Medici, Duke of Florence. Indeed, young Ippolito had been known to voice displeasure at Alessandro's abuse of power. It was no secret that the Cardinal died shortly after meeting his lover, Giulia Gonzaga. Giulia went into mourning and joined a convent in Naples."(Beck: 181)
2) Angela Zaffetta.
"Unsuited by nature to the cardinalate (his friendship with the Venetian courtesan Angela Zaffetta and passion for Giulia Gonzaga were public knowledge), he nevertheless entered readily into the lavish style of living of his peers, to the extent that Clement VII once tried to sack members of his household, which Ippolito resisted on the grounds that while he probably did not need them, they needed him." (The Medici Family)
 |
| Francesco Maria de' Medici @Wikipedia |
 | |
|
(1660-1711)
Duca di Rovere e Montefeltro
Governor of Sienna 1683
Cardinal 1686
Duca di Rovere e Montefeltro 1694
Son of: Ferdinando II de' Medici of Tuscany & Vittoria della Rovere.
Husband of: Eleonora Luisa Gonzaga of Guastalla mar 1709.
" . . . A strong influence in the lives of both Medici princes was their uncle, Cardinal Francesco Maria (1660-1711), only three years older that Ferdinand. His preference for pretty boys, who waited on him dressed as girls, may have presaged Gian Gastone's ruspanti. In 1709 Francesco Maria's brother Cosimo III, the princes' father, forced the cardinal to relinquish his vows and marry, with the hope that this liaison would produce the Medici heir that was not forthcoming from his sons and their wives, but (not surprisingly) this marriage too was barren." (Harris, 2001, p. 39)
No comments:
Post a Comment