The Women of the Medici

Yvonne Maguire

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781000012446
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European Renaissance History
• Index: History

When this book was first published in 1927 there was a dearth of material written in English about the leading women of Florence at the time of the Renaissance. This volume, based primarily on their own letters, filled that gap. As well as discussing the characters and domestic life of these influential women, the book includes many of their most significant letters.

Chapter I
Introduction

If we stand on the hill of San Miniato at sunset it is easy to understand why Florence is called “The City of Flowers.” Flowers are everywhere, in the city, and on the slopes of Fiesole; the emblem of the commune is a red lily, and the cathedral is dedicated to Our Lady of the Flowers. But, above all, the city, with its towers and cupolas nestling in the valley, is like a flower in its beauty, with its bright marbles glistening in the clear Tuscan air.

Other Tuscan cities may be more beautiful, but the most picturesque are cities of the dead, mere museums for tourists, whilst Florence is modem and progressive, although she has preserved her beauty almost intact. The modern Florentine lives and works among the beautiful buildings of his forefathers.

During the Renaissance Florence became the Athens of Italy, and her sons were leaders in every branch of the revival. Such men as Dante, Petrarch, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo, and Michelangelo, have conferred undying fame upon their native city.

In the days of Imperial Rome, Italy was merely a province, and after the fall of the Empire she sank into the gloom of the Dark Ages, no less than did other parts of Europe. But her gloom was never as deep as that of the North, and her political history was very different. Northern Europe was feudalised, and though the various Teutonic invaders of Italy tried to transplant the system, they never really succeeded, but were themselves absorbed by the race they had conquered. After the fall of the Western Empire, Italy was without any central authority, and this, together with the growth of the power of the Church, helped the rise of the independent communes. By uoo the cities had nearly all achieved their independence, and, though they owed nominal allegiance to the Pope or the Emperor, the history of Italy henceforward consists almost entirely of the quarrels, both internal and external, of these small city-states.

They had struggled successfully to emancipate themselves from their overlords, but they had not learnt to tolerate one another, still less had they any conception of the federal idea. The Lombard League is the only example of an extensive alliance between them, and even that rapidly collapsed. The stronger cities were always trying to subdue their weaker neighbours, and the records are filled with confusing and complicated accounts of wars that lasted for years. Their causes were often absurd, such as the theft of a pail which caused a lengthy conflict between Modena and Bologna. Confusion is worse confounded by the fact that, in many cases, both sides claimed the victory, always adding “with great slaughter,” until, as Mrs. Ross says, “the bewildered reader wonders how anyone was left alive to note down the incessant fighting.”¹

Gradually the larger cities conquered the smaller until at the beginning of the fifteenth century Lombardy, with Genoa and Venice, controlled the North; Tuscany and Rome, with a fringe of Papal states, occupied the Centre; and Naples held the South. Florence was virtually mistress of Tuscany, except for Siena and Lucca, but her subject cities often revolted, and were the cause of many troubles.

In spite of all this warfare, the Italian cities were not blessed with internal peace. There were everlasting quarrels between nobles and burghers, burghers and plebeians, Guelphs and Ghibellines, Blacks and Whites, and these quarrels led to bloody battles within the cities themselves. The streets were narrow, and the leading families built high towers from which they could hurl missiles at their opponents below. It is a suggestive fact that in every Italian palace the Piano Nobile, inhabited by the master and his household, was on the first floor, whilst the ground floor was given up to offices and store-rooms, with windows that could be barricaded for defence when required.

Gradually the cities’ warlike spirit waned, and from sheer exhaustion they yielded to the sway of a tyrant. This brought them a certain measure of internal tranquillity, and wars were henceforth carried on by mercenaries, so that the burgher could pursue his business in peace. But the demand for mercenaries brought into being a new force to disturb the sorely harassed land, and with the rise of condottiere families like the Sforza, the Este, and the Gonzaga, there was less and less hope for peace.

Florence had been tom by factions as fierce as those of any other city, but she did not fall under the sway of a tyrant in the same way as did the rest. The tyrannies of Milan or Ferrara were founded on force and maintained by arms, but the rule of the Medici in Florence was based on wealth and personal prestige. Cosimo, Piero and Lorenzo were never more than primi inter pares, and as soon as Piero the younger forgot this his family was driven out of Florence.

Probably more books have been written about Renaissance Italy than about any other period of history except the French Revolution, and a large proportion of the books about Italy deal with Florence and the Medici. But the history of the family was so closely interwoven with that of the city that historians have dwelt chiefly on matters of national importance, and have neglected the homely details of daily life. This is particularly so with regard to the women of the family. Cosimo and Lorenzo, and even Piero, were such dominating personalities that we tend to think that their wives and daughters were mere nonentities. They did not play as great a part in politics as women like Isabella and Beatrice d’Este, but they were persons of importance, nevertheless.

The Medici archives in Florence contain a number of family letters which give us glimpses of domestic life during the years of the Medici supremacy. Unfortunately there is no such wonderful series as the contemporary correspondence of Alessandra Macinghi degli Strozzi with her exiled sons, but industrious search has revealed quite a number of illuminating documents that give us an idea of the helpmeets and companions of the first citizens of Florence.

Chapter II
The Ideal Woman

From the beginning of the Renaissance we have several descriptions of the ideal wife, and Contessina de’ Bardi, the wife of Cosimo, Pater Patriae, almost came up to this ideal in fact. The growing deviation from this type in succeeding generation keeps pace with the change in the position of women, which we can see by comparing Contessina de’ Bardi with Alfonsina Orsini, or Alberti’s Ideal Wife with Castiglione’s Court Lady.

Leo Battista Alberti (d. 1472) wrote a dialogue entitled Della Famiglia¹ in which a certain Giannozzo Alberti discusses the best way of conducting the family affairs.

Speaking of his wife, he says that soon after marriage he took her all over the house and showed her everything, and then

“Locking the door I showed her all the things of value, the silver, the tapestries, the fine clothes, the gems, and the places in which they were all kept. For I did not wish any of my precious things to be hidden from my wife…. Only my books and papers, and those of my forbears I kept hidden and locked, both then and thereafter, so that she should neither read, nor even see them…. I always kept my papers, not loose in my sleeves^* but locked up in my study … into which I never allowed my wife to enter, either alone or with me.”

* The long flowing sleeves of mediaeval gowns were often used as pockets, as is done by the Chinese to this day.

He went on to tell her that she was never to meddle with his affairs in any way, and, in order to discourage her, he added that women who knew too much of masculine affairs got the reputation of being too fond of men. Her duty consisted in being faithful to him, looking after the family and seeing that the household was well ordered. He also exhorted her to be modest in her dress, and not to use cosmetics, for “the ancients forbade their women to paint their faces.” He went on:—

“When I had shown her everything we shut ourselves into our room, and kneeling down we prayed to God that we might make good use of our wealth … and live long together in happiness and concord, with many male children, and that He would grant to me riches, friends and honour, and to her faithfulness, modesty and the gifts of a good housekeeper.”²

The need for good housekeeping is much dwelt on by Alberti, for he forbids his wife to gossip with the maids, but begs her to “take the pleasant exercise of going every day from the top to the bottom of the house to see if everything is in its place.”

All through the fifteenth century we get praises of the good housekeeper, but possibly she was not found so frequently as of yore, since her virtues are so much dwelt on, as an example to the modern generation.

The Florentine bookseller, Vespasiano da Bisticci (1421–1478), wrote a collection of the Lives of Illustrious Men, among which he included a number of women. His ideal wife was “a mirror of virtue,” with a modest manner, kind and helpful to the sick and to the poor, but not over-generous with her husband’s goods, and not too religious, but sufficiently so to be a good wife and mother.

Writing of Alessandra de’ Bardi he says:—

“I have known Florentine women, even those of the highest birth, to be the first to rise in the house, and go through it from cellar to granary, putting a hand to all that was doing.”³

At about the same time Matteo Palmieri wrote:—

“The duty proper to a wife is heedfully to govern the house well, provide for its wants, know all that is going on there, be watchful as to all that affects it, confer with her husband, ascertain his will, and follow it in such wise that his command, opinion, and custom shall serve as her law.”³

Girls were married at an early age, and although their whole upbringing had been intended to fit them for this, and for nothing else, anxious mothers must often have felt that their little daughters were hardly strong and wise enough to fulfil the duties and bear the burdens that awaited them. One such mother gave her daughter a set of rules of conduct on her marriage which show what a Florentine husband expected of his wife:—

The whole document reads⁴:—

“My dearest daughter,—I beg and command you that you will not grieve because I have given you in marriage, and sent you away from me, so that you may not anger your new husband, to whom I have married you. My sweet daughter, if it were right that you should stay with me until the end of my life, you should never leave me, for so great is the love I bear you. But reason requires, and our honour demands, and it is seemly for your age and condition that you should be wedded, so that your father and I and all our family may rejoice in you and the children that by the grace of God will come to you. Now I tear you from my bosom; now you pass from the power of your father into that of your husband and lord, to whom you must not only be a companion, but an obedient servant. Above all, in order that you may know how to serve him obediently, listen to my instructions, and obey them as commands, for if you follow them you will keep the love and grace of your husband, and of all others.

The First Commandment is to take care not to do any of those things which might anger your husband, or justly provoke him to wrath. And take care not to be merry when you see that he is wrathful, nor to be angry when he is merry; and when he is worried or burdened with trouble, or many thoughts, do not try to attract his attention, but stand aside until he is more serene.

The Second Commandment is to take care to know what dishes please him at dinner and at supper and to see that they are prepared for him. And if you do not like some of these dishes, I want you to pretend that you do like them, for it is right and proper for a woman to share the pleasure of her husband.

The Third Commandment is that when your husband is sleeping, either from weakness or weariness, or some other reason, you must take care not to wake him without good reason, but if you must do so, do not do it suddenly, or in haste, but quietly and gently, so that he may not be wrath, for in this matter men are easily angered.

The Fourth Commandment is that you must guard faithfully both his honour and your own, and never touch the box or purse or other place in which he keeps his money, so that he may not suspect you; and if it so happens that for any reason you do touch it, do not take anything, but put it back carefully. Do not give anyone anything of his without permission, nor lend it, for he is so much your lord that even for the love of God you must not give to the poor without asking him. Therefore take every care of his property, for, as a man is praised for generosity, so a woman is praised for her care of her husband’s goods.

The Fifth Commandment is that you must not be too anxious to know your husband’s secrets and his affairs, and if he tells you anything, take care not to repeat it to anyone. And take heed also not to repeat outside the house the words that have been said privately within, even if they are of little importance, for it is an evil thing that others should know the affairs of your household, especially from your own mouth, and the woman who acts thus is foolish and silly, and will be hated by her husband.

The Sixth Commandment is that you must love and trust in a proper manner your servants and your household, especially those who are beloved by your husband. Take care not to scold them nor dismiss them for any light cause, for you will be hated for this and may be so abhorred by the household for so doing that you will never get rid of the blame, and may easily come to be hated by your husband and other people.

The Seventh Commandment is not to do any great thing of your own accord, without the consent of your husband, however good it may seem to you. And take care not to say to him ‘My counsel was better than yours’ even if it was so, for that would make him very angry and cause him to hate you.

The Eighth Commandment is not to require of your husband anything unseemly, or that he would not wish to do, or a thing that you think might displease him, or be dishonourable, even if it is not the cause of evil, harm or destruction.

The Ninth Commandment is to take care to keep young, fresh and beautiful and clean, in a modest manner, without anything immodest or any ugly ornament. For if your husband finds you adorning yourself immodestly, he might easily suspect you, but if you dress modestly he will love you and cherish you the more.

The Tenth Commandment is not to be too familiar with your household nor too humble, especially with those who have to serve you, whether varlets or damsels, men or maids; for too much intercourse leads to trouble, and familiarity breeds contempt. Therefore it is better to be a little proud and haughty towards them, for it is not a good sign to see the servant disdainful in the presence of her mistress, and in vulgar speech the people say ‘Where the maid rules, the mistress is a f...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Original Title
• Original Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface
• CONTENTS
• LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
• Chapter I. Introduction
• Chapter II. The Ideal Woman
• Chapter III. The Forerunners
• Chapter IV. Contessina De’ Bardi
• Chapter V. Lucrezia Tornabuoni
• Chapter VI. Clarice Orsini
• Chapter VII. The Younger Generation
• CONCLUSION
• Notes
• Appendix
• Bibliography
• Index