DUCHIES OF URBINO
AND
DUCHY OF MANTUA:
low lying marshy area in Po Valley, border betw Milan & Venice,
ruled by Gonzaga family from 1328;
elected Capitano (military leader)
protected by Imperial alliance and
titles: 1433 Marquis; 1530 made Dukes
1627 dynasty dies out, 1629 city
taken by Imperial/Hapsburg troops
Francesco I,
Signore 1388-1407 resisted expansion of Milan under GG Visconti
allied with Venice, for whom he
conquered Verona and Padua in 1405
built Castello San Giorgio; begins manuscript collection for library
Gianfrancesco I 1407-1444: established
school at court for Gonzaga children
1432 invites Vittorino da Feltre
(humanist educated by Guarino da Verona*,
to teach patrician, selected poorer
boys; used Gonzaga villa La Giocosa
* Guarino
da Verona: important teacher of Greek, first in Florence 1410-1414
then establishes humanist school in
Ferrara under patronage of Este Dukes)
Marquis Ludovico Gonzaga 1444-1478:
educated at
military captain for
German wife Barbara of
Patronage:
Paintings by Mantegna* -- frescoes of ducal family
Urban
architecture: extensive building projects, secular & ecclesiastical
Leon Battista Alberti designs
churches of San Sebastian & San Andrea
Ecclesiastical offices: son Cardinal
Francesco Gonzaga (Mantega's fresco)
Federico I 1478-84: successor to Ludovico as Marquis
* ANDREA MANTEGNA
1441-1506 career begins in
1495-96 Madonna della Victoria: celebrates
victory at Fornovo
Gianfrancesco II, Marquis 1484-1519
military commander for
1495 leads Italian League to victory
over French army of Charles VIII
Isabella
d'Este: wife, well educated daughter of Este Duke of Ferrara
patron of artists & humanists at court
of Mantua in his absence
Federico II 1519-1540 Imperial title of Duke
granted for
military service
Patronage of arts, prominent
military commander both for Papacy & Empire
DUCHY OF URBINO:
ruled by Montefeltro family who resist Papal claims to
territory until late 14th C, then
become papal condottieri & allies
Federico
of Montefeltro 1444 Signore of Urbino; Duke 1474-1482:
illegitimate, succeeds to power after assassination of half-brother
1475 portrait by Justus of Ghent: shown reading in armor = exemplar of
Humanist prince, "arms &
letters": educated at Mantua, school of Vittorino
arms: makes fortune as condottieri,
trained by Niccolo Piccinino; for hire
short term contracts, no
alliances; triples territory of Duchy
Patronage: spends on art, building,
paternalistic "good government"
Library:
goal to create best library since antiquity; hires 40 scribes;
Ducal
Palace: built 1460-70's; begun by architect Luciano Luarana;
Piero
della Francesca (1439-1493) portrait painting in ducal palace
Guidobaldo
Duke 1482-1508, married to Elisabetta Gonzaga of Mantua
1502-3 Duchy conquered &
occupied by Cesare Borgia; return 1504
1506 their court provides setting
for Book of the Courtier
Francesco
Maria della Rovere (Guidobaldo's nephew) next in line, 1508-1538
(related to reigning Pope Julius II, Giuliano
della Rovere, 1504-13)
1513:
deposed by Leo X, Lorenzo di Medici made Duke of Urbino (needs title)
1521-38: Francesco Maria reinstated,
Della Rovere remain Dukes until
1631 annexed to Papal States: rare
case of papal dynasty surviving founder
BALDASSARE
CASTIGLIONE: THE BOOK OF THE COURTIER
1528, set in Urbino in 1506
Nobleman in service to Duke of
Mantua, then Duke of Urbino, Papal Rome
Career under Julius II (military),
Leo X (Ambassador from Urbino),
Clement VII (papal nuncio to Spain during
the Sack of Rome
Book of the Courtier: portrait of the ideal courtier in service to a Prince