Maggie O’Farrell’s latest book is totally captivating and enthralling, magnificently written, and brings Lucrezia de’ Medici d’Este (1545-1561) vividly to life.
Inspired by Robert Browning’s poem ‘ My Last Duchess’ and the Bronzino portrait, Lucrezia’s short, rather obscure and brief life is grippingly portrayed. Readers enter the world of late Renaissance Italy Florence and Ferrara and follow Lucrezia’s journey from conception to death.
Lucrezia is officially recorded as having died of pulmonary tuberculosis, but it was rumoured immediately after her death that she had been poisoned on the orders of her husband. Or was she ? There is a plot twist right at the end ….
Lucrezia was the third daughter and fifth child of Cosimo de Medici and we see the high power, Catholic, patriarchal society and politics at work. We follow her growing up (there is a fabulous segment of her connection to a tiger) and we see how Lucrezia was fiery, intelligent, different, independent, stubborn and arty yet trapped by the social mores. The concept of childhood had yet to be named and established, as had one’s uniqueness. During the day in Florence Lucrezia soaks up lessons from her tutors and displaying a marked talent for drawing. Night times see her secretly exploring the palace.
At the very young age of thirteen she is married off to Alfonso d’Este, the Duke of Ferrara, who is a decade older, cementing Cosimo’s desire for an alliance between the two city-states. She was trafficked for political reasons and social prestige. (Her older sister, Maria, had been betrothed to Alfonso but died of an infection just after her betrothal) Alfonso expeditiously requests to marry Lucrezia instead, and Cosimo hurriedly accepts. A couple of years delay is granted until Lucrezia ‘has become a woman’ ( ie started her monthly menses ) – she is aided in hiding these by her maid and friend Sofia until it is unavoidable.
The frosty winter of 1561 sees Lucrezia accompany Alfonso to a lodge in a somewhat remote forest. Her ladies’ maid and friend Emilia with her, Lucrezia both esteems and yet is apprehensive about him, already aware that he is a man of many faces – is he a cruel dominating politician or the artistic connoisseur? Alfonso also appears tender to his bride – or is he? He reveals he has a heavily controlling side which at times is quite frightening.
Alfonso feeds and gives her drink, but she is violently ill. Her steadfast ladies’ maid and friend, Tuscan Emilia is with her and Lucrezia dreams of escape but is trapped.
The book jumps between Lucrezia’s last days and the rest of her life, how she begs Cosimo not to marry her off but he ignores her, the huge wedding, dinner and travel and night after for example. We also see how while yes her mother has trained her terrifically, she has to learn how to be a Duchess and survive at the Ferrara court where she is not really welcome. Alfonso’s sisters Elisabetta and Nunciata are vigorously depicted too. Lucrezia’s life is shrunk and micro-managed, women are not consulted, and she has to be secretive about her painting and drawing .
There is a lot written about The Portrait that Bronzino (here referred to as Il Bastianino ) paints and his two main apprentices, Jacopo and Maurizio. As Lucrezia somewhat awkwardly poses for her portrait in a special dress she doesn’t like (and note it is Alfonso rather than Lucrezia that Il Bastianino asks for permission to touch her to adjust the dress or pose). Lucrezia is expected to fall pregnant and provide a heir for the dynasty – the whole court is waiting for this .
Gloriously written this is a chilling depiction of enforced child marriages as well as a splendid analysis of life at a late Renaissance Italian court, politics and religion, the arts ( not just painting but architecture, sculpture and music – castrati are mentioned as being hypnotically enthralling but troubling too ) and medicine. Thoroughly recommended.