Princes of the Renaissance
Last Blog | Index | Books | Next Blog
9 March 2023
This past weekend sitting in a hot bath reading by candlelight and listening to Italian opera I finished reading Mary Hollingsworth's Princes of the Renaissance. I picked up the book last month in the Sforza Castle bookshop, where it was one of the few English language options available. The book is divided into chapters that each follow a pair of rulers: Alfonso of Aragon & Francesco Sforza, Leonello d'Este & Sigismondo Malatesta, Ludovico Gonzaga & Barbara of Brandenburg, Ferrante I of Naples & Federigo da Montefeltro, Ludovico & Ascanio & Giangaleazzo Sforza, Isabella & Alfonso d'Este, Francesco Maria deaa Rovere & Federigo Gonzaga, Andrea Gritti (who got a chapter alone), Paul III & the Farnese, the Este & Cosimo de'Medici, and finally Francis I & Charles V. The tales of these people are interwoven and overlapping and Hollingsworth does an excellent job following the individuals to avoid a general quagmire. Throughout the book there are also countless photos of art sponsored by the subjects of the stories. This also adds to the narrative, but with all the battles and changing tides I really came away wishing the book had more than one map. All in all I'd definitely recommend it for any lovers of the period.
