Autumn/Winter 2022

her home and family, surrounded by people
she barely knew.” This, too, resonates in the
time of Covid.
For a young woman about whom so little is
known, it is striking that Lucrezia was the subject
of a portrait by the pre-eminent artist of the
Cinquecento in Florence, and commemorated
in a poem by one of the most highly-regarded
English poets. With so little hard evidence to
go on, historical fiction becomes a way to tell
stories of women whose lives would otherwise
remain unknown. The Marriage Portrait is
an immersive story that shines a light on a
historical figure, capturing the setting and
circumstances of her life, while reminding us
about the deeper truths of human existence.
As for the Netflix true crime series, Isabella
de’ Medici, rather than her sister Lucrezia, might
make a better subject. Cosimo I had looked
out for his favourite daughter throughout her
life and unhappy marriage to Paolo Giordano
Orsini but, on Cosimo’s death, she no longer
enjoyed this protection. It is widely believed
that the new Grand Duke Francesco and Orsini
conspired to murder Isabella, whose untimely
death was explained as the result of an accident
while washing her hair… RC
Top: Seventeenth-century map of Ferrara
Above: Central Ferrara
Autumn / Winter 2022 • Restoration Conversations 73