Catherine Fletcher - The Black Prince of Florence : the spectacular life and treacherous world of Alessandro de’ Medici

CONTENTS

The Divorce of Henry VIII: The Untold Story

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Copyright Catherine Fletcher 2016

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First published by The Bodley Head in 2016

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ISBN: 9781847922694

To my father

Acciaiuoli, Roberto (14671547).A Florentine diplomat, active in city service both before and after the return of the Medici in 1512. Imprisoned during the 152730 republic but escaped and held high office in Alessandros regime, including as one of his first four consiglieri. One of the politicians invited by Clement VII to write an opinion on reform of Florentine government.Aldobrandini, Silvestro (14991558).A Florentine lawyer and academic, involved in the revolt against the Medici in 1527. Held office in the 152730 republic; cooperated with papal officials at the end of the siege, but was imprisoned. Freed thanks to the intervention of Bartolomeo Valori, he was exiled. He was an advocate for the Florentine exiles during their disputes with Alessandro in Naples and went on to a distinguished legal career.Aretino, Pietro (14921556).An author and satirist, patronised by leading figures of sixteenth-century Italy, including Cardinal Giulio de Medici (later Clement VII). Spent his early career in Rome but left for Venice after a victim of his satire tried to have him killed and his involvement in the production of pornography landed him in trouble.Bandini, Giovan.A companion of Alessandro de Medici, involved in a series of incidents including the attack on Cellinis brother and the duel for the honour of Florence.Castiglione, Baldassarre (14781529).Courtier, diplomat and author, born in Mantua but active at the courts of Urbino and Milan. Best known for his Book of the Courtier, a dialogue on proper conduct at court.Cellini, Benvenuto (15001571).A Florentine goldsmith and sculptor, Cellini is also famed for his swashbuckling (and unreliable) autobiography. He produced works for Clement VII, for Alessandro, and for many other patrons.Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (15001558).King of Spain from 1516; Emperor from 1519. Charles empire stretched from Spain and southern Italy to the German states and Low Countries. He competed with the king of France for dominance in central and northern Italy but also faced challenges to his eastern dominions from the Ottoman Emperor.Cibo, Caterina (15011557).A niece of Pope Leo X, sister to Cardinal Innocenzo, Lorenzo and Giovanbattista Cibo. Married Giovanni Maria Varano, duke of Camerino, with whom she had a daughter, Giulia; widowed in 1527 and waged a fierce fight to protect her interest in the duchy. Lived in Florence from 1535.Cibo, Giovanbattista (1505/08c.1550).Bishop of Mariana in Corsica and (from 1530) bishop of Marseilles. Brother of Cardinal Innocenzo and related to the Medici on his mothers side. A close companion of Ippolito de Medici.Cibo, Cardinal Innocenzo (14911550).A nephew of Pope Leo X, who promoted him to the cardinalate in 1513; related on his fathers side to another pope, Innocent VIII. Held many benefices in the Church; became Pope Clements representative in Florence.Cibo, Lorenzo (15001549).A military commander in papal service, brother of Cardinal Innocenzo. Married Ricciarda Malaspina in 1520.Clement VII, Pope (Giulio de Medici) (14781534).The illegitimate son of Giuliano de Medici, the brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent. His father was assassinated in the Pazzi conspiracy. Giulio was made a cardinal in 1513 following his cousin Giovannis election as Pope Leo X. He held a number of important offices in Leos administration and was elected pope in 1523.Della Rovere, Francesco Maria, duke of Urbino (14901538).Ruler of the duchy of Urbino from 1508 to 1516, when he was supplanted by Lorenzo de Medici, and again after 1521. A condottiere, he commanded papal troops and the Venetian army at different points in his career.Doria, Andrea (14661560).A celebrated Genoese naval commander and statesman, Doria fought for various princes but by the mid 1530s was in the service of Charles V.Este, Alfonso d, duke of Ferrara (14761534).Came to power in 1505; had a long-running conflict with the popes over control of the duchies of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio. Allied variously with France and the Holy Roman Empire at different points during the Italian Wars.Este Gonzaga, Isabella d, marchioness of Mantua (14741539).A member of the ruling family of Ferrara, Isabella was married to Francesco II, marquis of Mantua, and was a distinguished political and cultural figure of her time, known in particular for her patronage of the arts. She was widowed in 1519.Francis I, king of France (14941547).Francis came to power in 1515 following the death of his cousin and father-in-law Louis XII. He was the first of the Angoulme branch of the Valois family to rule France. He vied with Charles V for military supremacy in Europe.Gheri, Goro (14701528).Secretary to Lorenzo de Medici, duke of Urbino, for whom he carried out a variety of political and diplomatic missions.Giovio, Paolo (c.14861552).Physician, philosopher and close adviser to Pope Clement VII, Giovio is also known for his historical writings.Girolami, Raffaello (14721532).Member of a Florentine banking family, he served in city government during the Medici exile of 1494 1512, though was never an advocate for a very broad-based regime. After the return of the Medici in 1512 he continued to hold office, as he did during the republic of 152730, when he was one of the more moderate voices in government. From January 1530 to the end of the republic he served as gonfaloniere.Gonzaga, Ercole (15051563).Second son of Isabella dEste and Francesco II Gonzaga, marquis of Mantua. He was made cardinal in 1527, following in an uncles footsteps. Initially preferring a princely lifestyle of hunting and the like, he later took an important role in church reform.