DOCSLIB.ORG

The Mystery of the Borgia Poison

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Mystery of the Borgia Poison August 21, 1909. THE HOSPITAL. 545 Medical Antiquities. THE MYSTERY OF THE BORGIA POISON. Tradition has linked the name of Borgia with circumstances, which some chroniclers attribute to lurid secret stories of crime and poisoning mingled poison, while others declare his death was due to a with the romance of the Middle Much Ages. has tertian ague. Muratori quotes many authorities to been this was written concerning powerful family, which prove that the death of Alexander not caused came into notoriety in the time of Pope Calixtus III. by poison, and the balance of evidence certainly about 1455. recent the year From research into the seems in favour of the theory that, despite all his chronicles of the period it would appear that some crimes, Alexander VI. died from a natural cause, of its were so as members not black tradition has which was probably a fever of virulent type. painted them, and many of the crimes attributed to It is reasonable to assume that many an indi- them cannot be altogether proved. But few tradi- vidual whose death is said to have been due to tions are a is little without germ of truth, and there poison, merely fell a victim to one of the diseases that some were of sinis- doubt of the Borgias guilty that were ever rife in the cities in the Middle Ages, ter were too common in the times deeds, which only which arose from the insanitary conditions in mainly which they lived. under which the people lived. The was of and family Spanish origin, migrated An inspection of many of the old Italian palaces to Italy, the first famous member being Bodrigo, will confirm the opinion, that typhus and other viru- who was born in 1431. He first became a soldier, lent forms of fever might have been readily con- but afterwards, through the influence of his relative tracted under the conditions in which their inmates entered the and rose to Calixtus, priesthood, finally lived, with a total lack of proper ventilation and be the head of the Church under the title of Pope ordinary sanitary necessities. It is true that many Alexander VI. He had five children Vanozza de by persons accused of poisoning did under torture fre- Cattanei?namely, Pier Luigi, who died in infancy, quently admit their guilt, but such confessions must Giovanni Duke of Giffredo Count of Gandia, Cariati, generally be regarded as unreliable. Cesare, afterwards Duke of Yalentinois, and Lu- At the time of his father's death Cesare Borgia crezia, who eventually became Duchess of Ferrara. was sick in bed, his illness, it is said, being caused was but fifteen of her While Lucrezia years age by swallowing a portion of the poisoned sweetmeats father, then Cardinal, betrothed her to a Spanish which cost his father his life. Cesare, it is related, but on the he gentleman; obtaining pontificate partook of the poisoned sweetmeats in error, and off the with the evident of broke engagement, object omitted to carry out the advice of Macchiavelli his to a man of marrying daughter higher rank, always to carry an antidote with him. More pro- and on June Lucrezia was married to 12, 1493, bably he was suffering from an attack of the same Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro. The marriage fever which his father had contracted. was not means a and at the end by any happy one, His death was lamented at least by one person, of was the who had four years it dissolved by Pope, and that was his sister Lucrezia, who at once set other motives in view, for he soon arranged a out for the Monastery at the Corpo di Cristo to offer and Alfonso Duke of marriage between Lucrezia prayers for Ms soul, where she remained two Bisceglie, a natural son of Alfonso II., King of nights. Naples. This marriage took place in 1498. Soon One or two entries in the book of her household after the birth her the her of first child, Duke, expenses are not without interest. In 1507 : "To husband, was attacked by several men and severely Maestro Ludovico, to her physician Highness," wounded. Lucrezia is said to have nursed him 110 lire for the balance of his salary." On the . back to but in her absence the Duke was health, 31st of December, 240 lire as a year's salary for murdered, it is said, at the instance of Cesare her Highness's physician, Maestro Ludovico, at the his brother-in-law. Borgia, rate of 20 lire a month." Surely a very modest After her husband's death Lucrezia retired for a stipend for a physician to a Duchess ? time to On her return to Nepi. Bome she appears Patroness of poets and painters, Lucrezia made to acted as have private secretary to her father the herself popular in Ferrara. In the Library of but in about twelve months' Pope, time her be- Modeno is a list of her magnificent jewels which the son trothal to Alfonso of Este, elder of the Duke she sold to free her husband from the debts he con- of was announced. Ferrara, tracted during the wars in defence of his territories. has been accused of Lucrezia being guilty of the Many of her letters, still extant, show that during worst that of secret possible crimes, including poison- these troublous times the relief of the poor, sick, but there is no historical ing, practically proof of the and needy was Lucrezia's constant care. She died truth of these-traditions. There is little doubt that during her confinement on June 21, 1519. The actions of her many of the infamous brother Cesare accouchement had been long and difficult, and the were reflected upon her. On December 20, 1502, officers and servants of her household were clus- the marriage of Lucrezia with Alfonso of Este was tered at the foot of the grand staircase leading to her she performed by proxy, and shortly afterwards left room. Great fears were entertained as to her re- Bome to take her residence in Ferrara. up covery, and they waited in breathless silence for In the summer of the 1503 Alexan- year Pope every sound from the apartment. At length der died under VI., Lucrezia's father, mysterious Maestro Alberti, the Court Apothecary, was seen 546 THE HOSPITAL. August 21, 1909. descending the staircase with a jug in his hand. In connection with the Borgia poison there is a All forward to ask him where he was going. curious story that the secret of its preparation pressed " He replied significantly, To get some rose-water perished with the Due Riaro-Sforza, who died in to wash the body of the Duchess." Paris about fifty years ago. Before his death, one According to tradition, the Borgia family are evening at the opera, the Duke confided to a distin- credited with the knowledge of a secret poison said guished critic, who occupied the neighbouring stall, to be of a specially potent type, which they em- that he still possessed the secret of the famous ployed to remove from their path any who opposed poison, although for centuries it had lain idle in the them. Many stories are related of this celebrated family archives. Its composition was, he added, venom, and some early writers go so far as to record simpler than was generally supposed, and not long the method of its preparation. According to one afterwards he told his friends that, feeling age ad- chronicler, it is said to have been prepared by vancing and having no direct heirs, he had thought cutting open a pig, powdering me carcass thickly it best to burn the recipe lest it might fall into bad with after which it was left to hands. arsenic, decompose. " The liquid collected from the putrefying mass was Baron Corvo, in his Chronicles of the Borgias," then collected, and formed the substance used. scouts the idea that the family possessed any such Another states, a bear was killed, then cut open and secret, and denies that the venom ever existed. The treated in a similar manner, and the liquid that probability is, that if the Borgias ever found it dripped from it formed the poison. necessary to use a poison for nefarious purposes This method of preparing a venom was very pro- they employed arsenic, which was commonly used bably used by some Italian poisoners, and was in Italy at that period. The fact that Cesare known at that period. The combination of the Borgia's signet ring, which is still in existence, animal poison contained in the products of putre- contains a secret receptacle, which may easily have faction, together with arsenic, would no doubt been used to carry arsenic, goes far to substan- furnish a venom of a very powerful nature, but tiate this conjecture, and is the strongest evidence whether the Borgia family ever used such a poison we have that he at least used some poisonous sub- there is no evidence to prove. stance to further his evil designs. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Story of the Borgias (1913)
    The Story of The Borgias John Fyvie L1BRARV OF UN ,VERSITV CALIFORNIA AN DIEGO THE STORY OF THE BORGIAS <Jt^- i//sn6Ut*4Ccn4<s flom fte&co-^-u, THE STORY OF THE BOEGIAS AUTHOR OF "TRAGEDY QUEENS OF THE GEORGIAN ERA" ETC NEW YORK G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 1913 PRINTED AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS TAVI STOCK STREET CoVENT GARDEN LONDON THE story of the Borgia family has always been of interest one strangely fascinating ; but a lurid legend grew up about their lives, which culminated in the creation of the fantastic monstrosities of Victor Hugo's play and Donizetti's opera. For three centuries their name was a byword for the vilest but in our there has been infamy ; own day an extraordinary swing of the pendulum, which is hard to account for. Quite a number of para- doxical writers have proclaimed to an astonished and mystified world that Pope Alexander VI was both a wise prince and a gentle priest whose motives and actions have been maliciously mis- noble- represented ; that Cesare Borgia was a minded and enlightened statesman, who, three centuries in advance of his time, endeavoured to form a united Italy by the only means then in Lucrezia anybody's power ; and that Borgia was a paragon of all the virtues. " " It seems to have been impossible to whitewash the Borgia without a good deal of juggling with the evidence, as well as a determined attack on the veracity and trustworthiness of the contemporary b v PREFACE historians and chroniclers to whom we are indebted for our knowledge of the time.
    [Show full text]
  • ALEXANDER VI: (1431 - 1503, Pope from 1492 - 1503)
    ALEXANDER VI: (1431 - 1503, Pope from 1492 - 1503) Alexander is the most notorious pope in all of history. He conducted a pontificate of nepotism, greed, ruthlessness, murder, and, as McBrien has described it, "unbridled sensuality." He became the leading figure in the saga of the Borgia family, both as a perpetuator of evil and a facilitator of the activities of the two most famous of his children, Cesare and Lucrezia. The second and last of the Spanish popes literally bought his pontificate with bribes. Such a purchased election is called "simoniacal," and was easily accomplished with the greed of seventeen of the twenty-two cardinals voting for the new pope. He was born Rodrigo Borgia near Valencia, Spain, the nephew of Callixtus, who made him a cardinal at the age of twenty-five (1456) and vice-chancellor of the Holy See (1457). As vice-chancellor, he amassed great wealth, lived an openly promiscuous life, and fathered seven children, both as a cardinal and the pope. Pius II, who had succeeded Callixtus and continued to support the rise in the church hierarchy of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, had to warn the young cardinal to refrain from his practice of participating in orgies. It was, as Pius expressed it, "unseemly." As a young man, Rodrigo was described as tall and handsome. Sigismondo de Conti speaks of him as a large, robust man, with a sharp Alexander VI Adoring gaze, great amiability, and "wonderful skill in money matters." Others the Risen Christ admired his tall figure, florid complexion, dark eyes, and full mouth. (Pinturicchio) However, in his early sixties when he became pope, he apparently lost his physical charm.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabine Eiche-. the SFORZA ANTIQUITIES: to That of Federico Da
    Sabine Eiche-. THE SFORZA ANTIQUITIES: TWO WILLS AND A COLLECTION The Sforza of Pesaro (1445-1512) built up a library ranked by Vespasiano da Bisticci as second only to that of Federico da Montefeltro; 1 they owned paintings by Rogier van der Weyden, Mantegna and Perugino, among others; and they collected antiquities that were of a quality to arouse the acquisi- tive instincts of Isabella d’Este. Only a handful of works is believed to have survived, and history has not been generous in remembering the rest.2 A full inquiry into the Sforza’s collections must grapple with several problems, of which an eluci- dation of the contents is necessarily the first and most basic; it is also, given the surviving documenta- tion, the least perplexing to resolve. The questions, when, and by which member of the family the Ob­ jects were amassed, have rarely been asked; 3 the evidence accumulated to date is meagre, and before answers can be attempted further research must be done on the individuals and their interests. Final- ly, the subsequent fate of the Sforza collections, and the possibility that more items, as yet unidenti- fied, are preserved in public or private museums, is a tantalizing, if obscure, problem. In this note I shall consider just one part of the Sforza patrimony, the classical art, and shall restrict myself to a preliminary definition of the collection. Recently interest in the Sforza antiques was revived as a result of studies on Isabella d’Este’s collecting habits, but the new and fascin- ating Information that came to light was not always accurately communicated.4 I shall take this opportunity to make some corrections, and to add newly discovered evidence.
    [Show full text]
  • The Life of Cesare Borgia
    The Life of Cesare Borgia Rafael Sabatini The Life of Cesare Borgia Table of Contents The Life of Cesare Borgia.........................................................................................................................................1 Rafael Sabatini...............................................................................................................................................1 PREFACE......................................................................................................................................................2 BOOK I. THE HOUSE OF THE BULL.....................................................................................................................8 CHAPTER I. THE RISE OF THE HOUSE OF BORGIA............................................................................8 CHAPTER II. THE REIGNS OF SIXTUS IV AND INNOCENT VIII.....................................................12 CHAPTER III. ALEXANDER VI...............................................................................................................21 CHAPTER IV. BORGIA ALLIANCES......................................................................................................29 BOOK II. THE BULL PASCANT...........................................................................................................................36 CHAPTER I. THE FRENCH INVASION..................................................................................................36 CHAPTER II. THE POPE AND THE SUPERNATURAL........................................................................44
    [Show full text]
  • Lucrezia Borgia : Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    LUCREZIA BORGIA : LIFE, LOVE AND DEATH IN RENAISSANCE ITALY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Sarah Bradford | 464 pages | 27 Oct 2005 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780141014135 | English | London, United Kingdom Lucrezia Borgia : Life, Love and Death in Renaissance Italy PDF Book The scene was lit by more than fifty torches in the hanging candelabra. The author insists that Lucrezia came into her own as a political dynamo only when she married her third husband, Alfonso d'Este, assuming the title Duchess of Ferrara. The summer of was oppressively hot and mosquitos were rampant. Borgia, touchingly, ran from window to window at the Vatican to catch a last glimpse of his beloved daughter as she rode away. Julius II, who appears sincerely to have detested Alfonso, made every effort to stir up trouble between the brothers-in-law. Anglo- Italian Covid vaccine trials halted. I thought to advise Your Ladyship of this in any case. Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara. Yet the personality eludes her; elaborately informative in its descriptions of feasts, courts and costumes, the book offers only glimpses of Lucrezia herself, gay, smiling and remote as a figure in a Renaissance tapestry. Whatever their bond, the emphasis Bradford places on their friendship proves that the poet's longing missives achieved their desired effect on both their original recipient and her 21st century biographer. Therefore it was not so unusual for Pope Alexander to marry his barely teenage daughter to the well-connected Giovanni Sforza, only to dissolve the union as soon as it no longer advanced his political interests. A reader can learn a great deal about the customs and political climate of Italy, and can get a clear idea of the place of women in that society.
    [Show full text]
  • Representations of Lucrezia Borgia and the Image of the Moral Exemplar in the Late Quattrocento and Early Cinquecento
    University of Mary Washington Eagle Scholar Student Research Submissions Spring 5-5-2018 Representations of Lucrezia Borgia and the Image of the Moral Exemplar in the Late Quattrocento and Early Cinquecento Nina Wutrich Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research Part of the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons Recommended Citation Wutrich, Nina, "Representations of Lucrezia Borgia and the Image of the Moral Exemplar in the Late Quattrocento and Early Cinquecento" (2018). Student Research Submissions. 237. https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/237 This Honors Project is brought to you for free and open access by Eagle Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Research Submissions by an authorized administrator of Eagle Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Nina Wutrich Representations of Lucrezia Borgia and the Image of the Moral Exemplar in the Late Quattrocento and Early Cinquecento ARTH 492: Individual Study in Art History Paper submitted in partial fulfillment of Honors in Art History 5 May 2018 Marjorie Och Professor of Art History Faculty Advisor Jon McMillan Chair, Department of Art and Art History Wutrich 1 During the late fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century lifetime of Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, Lucrezia profited from a carefully crafted image wherein comparisons were drawn between herself and saints, holy women, and moral exemplars from classical antiquity. This appropriation of imagery evolved as Lucrezia herself matured; the representations shift from those where Lucrezia completely disguises herself as a morally exemplary woman such as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, to those where she presents herself, in her role as Duchess of Ferrara, as a morally exemplary holy woman in her own right.
    [Show full text]
  • CONTENTS Page ...Vii LUCREZIA BORGIA in ROME I. Lucrezia's
    CONTENTS Page EDITOR'S PREFACE . vii Part One • LUCREZIA BORGIA IN ROME I. Lucrezia's Father ..... i II. Lucrezia's Mother . 6 III. Lucrezia's First Home .... 9 IV. Lucrezia's Education . .13 V. Nepotism—Giulia Farnese—Lucrezia's Betrothals . 20 "VI. Her Father becomes Pope—Giovanni Sforza . 27 VII. Lucrezia's First Marriage . ... 33 Vm. Family Affairs . 38 -EX. Lucrezia Leaves Rome . ... 44 X. History and Description of Pesaro . .47 XI. The Invasion of Italy—The Profligate World . 54 XII. The Divorce and Second Marriage . .64 Xm. A Regent and a Mother . .70 XTV. Social Life of the Borgias • . .• . 78 XV. Misfortunes of Catarina Sforza . .87 XVI. Murder of Alfonso of Aragon . .92 XVn. Lucrezia at Nepi . -97 XVHI. Cesare at Pesaro ..... 101 XIX. Another Marriage Planned for Lucrezia . 107 XX. Negotiations with the House of Este . .117 XXI. The Eve of the Wedding .... 126 XXn. Arrival and Return.of the Bridal Escort 133 http://d-nb.info/577732579 vi CONTENTS Part Two Page LUCREZIA BORGIA IN FERRARA I. Lucrezia's Journey to Ferrara . 147 II. Formal Entry into Ferrara.... 153 III. Fetes Given in Lucrezia's Honour . 160 IV. The Este Dynasty—Description of Ferrara . .170 V. Death of Alexander VI . 179 VI. Events Following the Pope's Death . .188 VII. Life and History at the Court of Ferrara . 194 VIII. Escape and Death of Cesare Borgia . 203 IX. Murder of Ercole Strozzi—Death of Giovanni Sforza and of Lucrezia's Eldest Son . 209 X. Effects of the War—The Roman Infante . 216 XI. Last Years and Death of Vannozza .
    [Show full text]
  • Stage Di Canto, Danza, Costume E Scherma Antica
    Associazione Danze Antiche da sabato 28 luglio – a sabato 4 agosto 2012 Stage di Canto, Danza, Costume e Scherma antica Pala di Pesaro, La Rocca - Giovanni Bellini I corsi si svolgeranno da sabato 28/7 a sabato 4/8 a Gradara nel Borgo antico, e in Strada del Boncio, 30 nel Parco Naturale del Monte S. Bartolo, Pesaro. per informazioni e iscrizioni [email protected] CANTO MEDIEVALE in collaborazione con l’Accad. giuliana di musica antica Docenti: Paolo Cecere e Alessandra Cossi CANTO RINASCIMENTALE : Dufay e i Malatesta Docente: Giovanni Cantarini CANTO BAROCCO : il recitar cantando.. Docente: Roberto Balconi DANZA MEDIEVALE : danze sacre e profane dal XII al XIV secolo Livello misto - Docente: Letizia Dradi DANZA TARDO MEDIEVALE E RINASCIMENTALE : danze cortesi del XV e XVI sec. Livello: base adulti, intermedio e avanzato adulti Docenti: Bruna Gondoni e Marco Bendoni DANZA RINASCIMENTALE : danze cortesi del XVI secolo Livello: base bambini - Docente: Enrica Sabatini DANZA BAROCCA :danze teatrali del XVII e XVIII secolo Livello base misto e avanzato - Docente: Letizia Dradi LABORATORIO DEL COSTUME : tecniche di elaborazione del costume Docente: Paola Giorgi SCHERMA ANTICA :- scuola bolognese del XVI sec. in collaborazione con l’Accademia delle Lance spezzate di Ferrara – Livello base e intermedio - Docente: Marco Chiozzi ADA - Associazione Danze Antiche - Via Keplero 10, 20124 Milano C.F. 97341860159 www.danzeantiche.org - e-mail: [email protected] Associazione Danze Antiche Spettacolo finale in costume 3 agosto 2012 nel Borgo di Gradara. Spettacolo finale in costume 4 agosto 2012 a Gabicce Monte VITTO E ALLOGGIO Dove dormire Associazione Albergatori Hotel & Residence Information Viale della Vittoria c/o Palazzo del Turismo - 61011 Gabicce Mare (PU) tel 0541.953600 - fax 0541.834517 Camping PARADISO via Rive del faro, 2 - 61010 Casteldimezzo (frazione di Pesaro), Tel.
    [Show full text]
  • Rocche E Castelli ENG
    Provincia di Rimini Assessorato alla Cultura I - 47900 Rimini, piazza Malatesta 28 [email protected] Assessorato al Turismo tel. +39 0541 716371 - fax +39 0541 783808 www.turismo.provincia.rimini.it Provincia di Rimini Malatesta fortresses and castles Assessorato alla Cultura Assessorato al Turismo in and around Rimini of the territory beside the text as you read. of theterritorybesidetextasyou adiagram willhave theflapopen,andyou Keep is printedinsidethejacketflap. A mapoftheplacesincludedinthisGuide Provincia di Rimini Assessorato al Turismo Rimini Gradara Castel Sismondo Fortress Verucchio San Leo Malatesta Fortress Renaissance Fortress Torriana Pennabilli Malatesta Fortress Ruins Montebello Guidi di Bagno Fortress Santarcangelo di Romagna Malatesta Fortress Coriano MalatestaAntiquarium Castle del Castello Antiquarium Mondaino Malatesta Fortress Montefiore Conca Malatesta Fortress Provincia di Rimini Assessorato alla Cultura Assessorato al Turismo Agenzia per il marketing di distretto Pier Giorgio Pasini Malatesta fortresses and castles in and around Rimini In collaboration with Colophon Coordination: Valerio Lessi Graphic Design: Relè - Leonardo Sonnoli Photographs taken from Rimini Province Photograph Archives With thanks to the photographers: L. Bottaro P. Cuccurese P. Delucca S. Di Bartolo L. Fabbrini R. Gallini L. Liuzzi G. Mazzanti T. Mosconi Paritani V. Raggi E. Salvatori R. Sanchini F. Taccola R. Urbinati Translation: Gillian Forlivesi Heywood, Link-Up Rimini Printing: Pazzini Stampatore Editore Villa Verucchio (Rimini)
    [Show full text]
  • The Borja Family: Historiography, Legend and Literature
    CATALAN HISTORICAL REVIEW, 1: 63-79 (2008) Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Barcelona DOI: 10.2436/20.1000.01.5 · ISSN: 2013-407X http://revistes.iec.cat/chr/ The Borja Family: Historiography, Legend and Literature Eulàlia Duran* Institut d’Estudis Catalans Abstract The Borja family from Valencia (the Italian spelling is ‘Borgia’) have been a constant source of fascination since the 15th century because of the unusual power they came to wield in Italy and Valencia thanks to the ecclesiastical career. They caused much ink to flow in the field of legend all over Europe — mainly in Italy but also in Germany, Great Britain, France and, of course, Valencia — and were ultimately accused of every vice. They also provided a major theme for litera- ture and films. Partly in reaction to this they became, mainly from the last third of the 19th century onwards, a subject for serious historiographical research based on archival documents. In recent years the fifth centenary of the pontificate of Alexander VI has triggered new research. I attempt here to give an overview and to offer explanations for the interest they have aroused. Key words: the Borja family, Borgia, 16th century, historiography, legend, literary theme The Borja1 family from Valencia are an unusual case: in The Family the 15th and 16th centuries they reached the highest eche- lons of ecclesiastical and political power in Italy and estab- The origins of the Borja family are obscure. They were lished a firm foothold in Valencia. They consisted basically certainly not of distinguished descent and this was al- of two popes, who were uncle and nephew, and the neph- ways a millstone round their necks.
    [Show full text]
  • Lucrezia Borgia and Ideals of Respectable Femininity
    BEAUTY WITHOUT PITY, AMBITION WITHOUT REMORSE: LUCREZIA BORGIA AND IDEALS OF RESPECTABLE FEMININITY A thesis submitted to the College of the Arts of Kent State University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts By Gloria Rusconi May 2021 Thesis written by Gloria Rusconi B.B.A., Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 2019 M.A Kent State University, 2021 Approved by Gustav Medicus, Ph.D., Advisor Marie Bukowski, MFA, Director, School of Art John R. Crawford-Spinelli, Ed.D., Dean, College of the Arts TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS viii CHAPTERS 1 I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. LUCREZIA’S VIRTUOSITY IN RENAISSANCE POESIA AND PITTURA 8 III. THE MOST COMPLETE MORAL DEFORMITY 33 IV. BETWEEN MODERN MEDUSAS AND SECULAR SAINTS 58 CONCLUSION 86 APPENDIX I 92 FIGURES 94 BIBLIOGRAPHY 131 iii LIST OF FIGURES Pag Figure 1. Pinturicchio, Disputation of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 1492-94, fresco with gold leaf. Borgia Apartment, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican. 9 Figure 2. Pinturicchio, detail of Saint Barbara’s facial features The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara, 1492-94, fresco with gold leaf. Borgia Apartments, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican. 9 Figure 3. Pinturicchio, detail of Saint Catherine’s facial features Disputation of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 1492-94, fresco with gold leaf. Borgia Apartment, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican. 9 Figure 4. Pinturicchio, detail of the triumphal arch Disputation of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 1492-94, fresco with gold leaf. Borgia Apartment, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican. 10 Figure 5. Pinturicchio, Scenes from the life of Isis and Osiris, 1492-94, vault fresco with gold leaf.
    [Show full text]
  • The Politics of Exile in Renaissance Italy
    THE POLITICS OF EXILE IN RENAISSANCE ITALY CHRISTINE SHAW published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb22ru,UK http://www.cup.cam.ac.uk 40 West 20th Street, New York, ny 10011±4211, USA http://www.cup.org 10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia # Christine Shaw 2000 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2000 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge Typeset in Bembo 11/12.5pt [ce] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress cataloguing in publication data Shaw, Christine. The politics of exile in Renaissance Italy / Christine Shaw. p. cm. ± (Cambridge studies in Italian history and culture) Includes bibliographical references. isbn 0 521 66325 3 (hardback) 1. Exiles ± Italy ± History. 2. Exiles ± Government policy ± Italy ± History. 3. Italy ± History ± 15th century. i. Title. ii. Series. jv8138.s47 2000 325'.21'094509024 ± dc21 99±30161 cip isbn 0 521 66325 3 hardback CONTENTS Acknowledgements page viii Abbreviations ix Introduction: The wheel of fortune 1 1 Into exile 5 2 The justice of exile 55 3 Places of exile 87 4 Life in exile 110 5 Keeping track 143 6 Finding friends 172 7 Going home 203 Conclusion 234 Bibliography 240 Index 247 vii chapter 1 INTO EXILE Italy was not the only region of Western Europe in which there were political exiles in the later ®fteenth century.
    [Show full text]