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The Magnificent Interior The Magnificent Interior Emotion, Gender, and Household in the Life of Lorenzo de’ Medici Karen J. Burch Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Royal Holloway, University of London Department of History September 2019 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Karen Burch, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, it is clearly stated. Signed: Dated: 2 Abstract Though Lorenzo de’ Medici (1449-1492) is one of the most well- studied Florentine figures in history, previous studies have almost exclusively focused on his political life and his contributions as an art patron. Few historians have given time to his emotional life, his relationships with the members of his household, or the ways in which he understood himself as a Medici man. The neglect of this crucial facet of the human experience fails to challenge previous understandings of Lorenzo’s life. This thesis is meant to be a corrective to earlier work in Laurentian history. I approach Lorenzo’s life from a standpoint which incorporates the methodologies of emotions history, gender history, household history, and the history of sexuality. By making a close study of a variety of sources, including letters, poetry, and artwork, I will seek to create a new portrait of Lorenzo which explores his internal life. This, I believe, will give greater context to the decisions and behaviours which shaped his political and artistic career. Additionally, by exploring Lorenzo’s inner life, we will come to a deeper understanding of the ways in which masculinity, sexuality, and household relationships shaped the lives of Florentine men. 3 Acknowledgements The seeds of this study were planted by three incredible women historians: Ann Wroe, whose riveting study of Pontius Pilate made me realise the potential of the biographical genre; Melissa Franklin-Harkrider, who introduced me to Lorenzo and whose genuine enthusiasm for the Renaissance set me on this path; and Barbara Rosenwein, who dragged me kicking and screaming (and occasionally weeping) into the history of emotions. I am deeply grateful for the four-year tuition waiver granted by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the 2017 travel stipend granted by the history department, without which much of my research would have been impossible. I would also like to thank Nicola Phillips and Anna Whitelock, who oversaw my upgrade process. Finally, I must thank my viva examiners, Serena Ferente and Mary Laven, for the attention and time they spent on my manuscript and my examination, as well as Sarah Ansari, who kindly oversaw the process. The research process was additionally aided by the cheerful and generous help of Emilio Fortunato of the Archivio di Stato di Milano, who helped me navigate the archive’s extensive collections. Grazie mille, Emilio. I am also indebted to Clare Coope of the National Gallery of London, who kindly provided me with feedback and suggestions as I ventured into the world of art history. Finally, I extend my thanks to Natalie Tomas of Monash University, who helpfully sent me scanned copies of Gino Corti’s original transcriptions of Clarice Orsini’s letters to Niccolò Michelozzi. Ren and Jess, as well as the other friends I’ve made here in the UK: thank you for getting me out of my apartment from time to time and reminding me to relax with good beer and good music. Linda, you have been 4 a constant guidepost, and I cannot imagine how I would have gotten through some of my hardest experiences without your wisdom. As for my friends back in the States, especially Steph, Sara, Jose, Kim, Emma, Judy, and Jo: thank you for being my cheerleading squad, and for your endless willingness to listen to my grumbling. To my Wasteland family: you all have given me reason to believe in William Reddy’s theory of the emotional refuge. Every year, you have provided such a refuge, and I cannot wait to return to the Mojave with you. All this would have been unthinkable without the steady and dedicated support of my family, especially my parents, who never ceased in their support. Thank you for remembering where I was going when I could not. I am also deeply grateful to my grandfather, Don Grimm, whose seemingly bottomless generosity has helped me pursue my studies all these years. Last (but certainly not least), I thank my supervisor, Sandra Cavallo, who has taught me so much about the craft of history, and who with a firm grace managed the monumental task of herding me in the right direction. I have learned so much from you, both from direct instruction and from following your exceptional example. 5 Contents Declaration of Authorship ...................................................................................... 2 Abstract .................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 4 Contents ................................................................................................................... 6 Figures ...................................................................................................................... 9 Abbreviations ........................................................................................................ 10 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 11 Why Lorenzo? ................................................................................................... 14 Historiography and Methodology.................................................................... 17 The Many Lives of Lorenzo............................................................................ 17 Psychohistory and Emotional Biography ........................................................ 21 The History of Emotions ................................................................................. 32 The History of Masculinity ............................................................................. 38 Emotion and Masculinity in Renaissance Florence ....................................... 47 Renaissance Emotions..................................................................................... 48 Princely Masculinity ....................................................................................... 63 Sources ............................................................................................................... 77 Letters ............................................................................................................. 78 Poetry .............................................................................................................. 82 Visual Sources ................................................................................................ 87 The Contents of this Thesis .............................................................................. 90 Chapter One: The Medici Household ............................................................. 90 Chapter Two: Raising Lorenzo ....................................................................... 91 Chapter Three: Another You: Brotherhood and Medicean Identity ............... 93 Chapter Four: The Patron, the Wife, and the Poet .......................................... 94 Chapter Five: The Magnificent Death............................................................. 95 Chapter One: The Medici Household ................................................................. 98 Historiography ................................................................................................ 100 Household Histories ...................................................................................... 100 Casa, Famiglia, Brigata ................................................................................... 108 Casa .............................................................................................................. 110 Famiglia ........................................................................................................ 113 Brigata .......................................................................................................... 116 Chapter Two: Raising Lorenzo ......................................................................... 127 Historiography ................................................................................................ 129 6 Fathers and Sons ........................................................................................... 129 The Young Lorenzo ...................................................................................... 135 Youthful Ambiguities ...................................................................................... 138 The Transfer of Authority ............................................................................. 143 Youthful Politics ........................................................................................... 149 Sexual Politics ............................................................................................... 154 The Loss of Youth ........................................................................................... 158 Loss and Image ............................................................................................. 158 Youthful Personas ........................................................................................
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