DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42863#0404
CHAPTER XLIII
1537—1539
Visit of Leonora, Duchess of Urbino to Mantua—Titian’s portraits
of the Duke and Duchess—Death of Francesco Maria—Of
Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan—Of Luigi Rodomonte and
Antonia del Balzo—Visit of Pietro Bembo—The collections of
the Grotta—Paintings and library of Isabella d’Este—Vittoria
Colonna—Last visit of Isabella d’Este to Ferrara—Her love
for her grandchildren—Duke Ercole lends her his palace at
Venice—Her last illness and death—Her tomb in S. Francesco
destroyed by the French—Death of Duke Federico—The
Mantuan collections sold and the Castello sacked—Character
of Isabella d’Este.
In May, 1537, Leonora, Duchess of Urbino arrived
unexpectedly at Mantua, to the great satisfaction of
Isabella, who wrote on the 30th to tell her son, Fer-
rante, that he alone of all her children was absent
from this family meeting. “ The news which I have
to give you of myself to-day is that for the present I
am quite well, and all the happier because I have the
unexpected delight of enjoying the presence not only
of Monsignore Reverendissimo (her son, Cardinal Er-
cole), but of our dear Duchess of Urbino, who arrived
here three days ago, and from what she says herself,
as well as from her appearance, seems to be in the
best of health.”
Leonora came from Venice, where her husband had
just been appointed Captain-General of the combined
armies of the Emperor, the Pope, the Signoria, and
was to lead the forces of the League against the
374
1537—1539
Visit of Leonora, Duchess of Urbino to Mantua—Titian’s portraits
of the Duke and Duchess—Death of Francesco Maria—Of
Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan—Of Luigi Rodomonte and
Antonia del Balzo—Visit of Pietro Bembo—The collections of
the Grotta—Paintings and library of Isabella d’Este—Vittoria
Colonna—Last visit of Isabella d’Este to Ferrara—Her love
for her grandchildren—Duke Ercole lends her his palace at
Venice—Her last illness and death—Her tomb in S. Francesco
destroyed by the French—Death of Duke Federico—The
Mantuan collections sold and the Castello sacked—Character
of Isabella d’Este.
In May, 1537, Leonora, Duchess of Urbino arrived
unexpectedly at Mantua, to the great satisfaction of
Isabella, who wrote on the 30th to tell her son, Fer-
rante, that he alone of all her children was absent
from this family meeting. “ The news which I have
to give you of myself to-day is that for the present I
am quite well, and all the happier because I have the
unexpected delight of enjoying the presence not only
of Monsignore Reverendissimo (her son, Cardinal Er-
cole), but of our dear Duchess of Urbino, who arrived
here three days ago, and from what she says herself,
as well as from her appearance, seems to be in the
best of health.”
Leonora came from Venice, where her husband had
just been appointed Captain-General of the combined
armies of the Emperor, the Pope, the Signoria, and
was to lead the forces of the League against the
374