Cover; Contents; List of Illustrations; Notes on Usage; List of Abbreviations; Acknowledgements; Photograph Credits; Introduction; 1. Letters and Lies; 2. Power Sharing; 3. The Elimination of Threats to the Marchesa's Authority; 4. Disgruntled Diplomats and Scissor Attacks: Divided Fronts in the Court Environment; 5. International Diplomacy: The Borgia Menace; 6. Overcoming Tension and Troubles; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index
Summary
In this first full length scholarly study of Isabella d'Este and Francesco Gonzaga, Sarah Cockram casts new light on a long misunderstood relationship and shows the couple's strategic teamwork in action. Drawing on largely unpublished archival material, she illuminates tactics of collaboration and double-dealing. She reveals sharing of authority; behind-the-scenes diplomatic activity; epistolary practices and dissimulation; network-building; sexual politics and seduction; court rivalries; Machiavellian intrigues and assassinations
