annesidora: 29 June 1475 - Birth of Beatrice d’Este, duchess of MilanBeatrice d'Este (29 June

annesidora:29 June 1475 - Birth of Beatrice d’Este, duchess of MilanBeatrice d'Este (29 June 1475 – 3 January 1497), duchess of Bari and later of Milan, was the wife of the Milanese ruler Ludovico Sforza. She was one of the most beautiful and accomplished princesses of the Italian Renaissance. A member of the Este family, she was the younger daughter of Ercole I d'Este and the sister of Isabella d'Este and Alfonso d'Este. Along with her sister, Beatrice was noted for her excellent taste in fashion and for having invented new clothing styles.When she was born, her appearance, however, proved no cause of rejoicing, as we learn from the contemporary chronicle published by Muratori: “A daughter was born this day to Duke Ercole, and received the name of Beatrice, being the child of Madonna Leonora his wife. And there were no rejoicings, because every one wished for a boy.”No one in Ferrara then dreamt that the babe who received so cold a welcome would one day reign over the Milanese, as the wife of Ludovico Sforza, the most powerful of Italian princes, and would herself be remembered by posterity as “lthe sweetest lady in all Italy”.In 1480 Ludovico Sforza formally asked Ercole d'Este to give him the hand of his daughter in marriage. Ludovico, who was then duke of Bari and regent to the duke of Milan, had originally requested a betrothal to Isabella, Beatrice’s older sister, but because she was already promised to Francesco Gonzaga, Ercole offered him Beatrice instead. Ludovico made no objection to the arrangement and Beatrice was married to him in January 1491.Beatrice had been carefully educated, and availed herself of her position as mistress of one of the most splendid courts of Italy to gather around her learned men, poets and artists, such as Niccolò da Correggio, Bernardo Castiglione, Donato Bramante, Leonardo da Vinci, and many others. In 1492 she visited Venice as ambassador for her husband in his political schemes, which consisted chiefly of a desire to be recognized as duke of Milan. On the death of Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Ludovico’s usurpation was legalized, and after the Battle of Fornovo (1495), both he and his wife took part in the peace congress of Vercelli between Charles VIII of France and the Italian princes, at which Beatrice showed great political ability.However, her brilliant career was cut short by death through childbirth, on 3 January 1497 at the age of 21. In a letter written hours after her death, Ludovico informed his brother-in-law Francesco Gonzaga that his wife, “gave back her spirit to God” half an hour after midnight. Their child had been born at eleven at night and was a stillborn son.“And when Duchess Beatrice died,” wrote the poet, Vincenzo Calmeta, “everything fell into ruin, and that court, which had been a joyous paradise, was changed into a black Inferno.” -- source link
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