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47-614: Maria Villavecchia Bellonci (30 November 1902 – 13 May 1986) was an Italian writer, historian and journalist, known especially for her biography of Lucrezia Borgia . She and Guido Alberti established the Strega Prize in 1947. Bellonci was born Maria Villavecchia in Rome on 30 November 1902. Her father, Gerolamo Vittorio Villavecchia, was a professor of chemistry, and came from an aristocratic Piedmontese family, while her mother, Felicita Bellucci, came from Umbria. She had three younger siblings,

94-636: A metahistorical novel . Furthermore, contrasting this depiction of Isabella with her previous appearances in Bellonci's works (e.g. in Lucrezia Borgia ), Bellonci was able to show how subjective and ideologically malleable historical interpretation may be. Bellonci was actively involved in the promotion of Italian culture. Along with her husband and Guido Alberti , she established the literary Premio Strega in 1947. She recounted its history in her 1971 book Come un racconto. Gli anni del Premio Strega . She

141-508: A Latin colony in 95 BC. After the Battle of Lake Trasimene (217 BC), Spoletium was attacked by Hannibal , who was repulsed by the inhabitants. During the Second Punic War the city was a useful ally to Rome. It suffered greatly during the civil wars of Gaius Marius and Sulla . The latter, after his victory over Marius, confiscated the territory of Spoletium (82 BC). From this time forth it

188-758: A brother Leo and a sister, Gianna. From 1913, she studied at the Liceo Umberto, graduating in 1921. She married the journalist Goffredo Bellonci in 1928. Following the Second World War, the Belloncis established a salon at their residence, the Amici della domenica ( Friends of Sunday ) inviting Italian literates to discuss the promotion of Italian culture. Bellonci's husband died in August 1964. Bellonci died on 13 May 1986 in Rome. Aged 19, Bellonci wrote Clio e le amazzoni ,

235-539: A love affair with the poet Pietro Bembo during her third marriage. Their love letters were deemed "the prettiest love letters in the world" by the Romantic poet Lord Byron when he saw them in the Ambrosian Library of Milan on 15 October 1816. On the same occasion Byron claimed to have stolen a lock of Lucrezia's hair – "the prettiest and fairest imaginable" – that was also held there on display. Lucrezia met

282-581: A novel that remained unpublished, but which circulated in Italian literary circles and introduced her to her future husband Goffredo Bellonci. Bellonci's literary debut was in 1939 with the acclaimed biography of Lucrezia Borgia , published in Italian by Mondadori, and translated into twelve languages. This and her subsequent works on historical subjects, based on rich and detailed research of extant primary documents, were lauded for their vivid reconstructions and psychological motivations of their characters from which

329-409: A strategic geographical position. It appears to have been an important town to the original Umbri tribes, who built walls around their settlement in the 5th century BC, some of which are visible today. The first historical mention of Spoletium is the notice of the foundation of a colony there in 241 BC; and it was still, according to Cicero " colonia latina in primis firma et illustris ":

376-709: A third parallel festival was also held in Melbourne, Australia. In 1992, the Spoleto Arts Symposium was initiated with the purpose of bringing talented people from all around the world to study in Spoleto. The program apparently ceased in 2009, to be replaced by a similar program, started by the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) of the University of Cincinnati in 2010. Spoleto gained its main results in sport with

423-663: A unsuccessful defence, Spoleto was taken by the troops fighting for the unification of Italy. Giovanni Pontano , founder of the Accademia Pontaniana of Naples, was born in the town; as was Francis Possenti, who was educated in the Jesuit school and whose father was the Papal assessor. Francis later entered the Passionists and became Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows . The Festival dei Due Mondi ( lit.   ' Festival of

470-450: Is described as having heavy blonde hair that fell past her knees, a beautiful complexion, hazel eyes that changed colour, a full, high bosom, and a natural grace that made her appear to "walk on air". These physical attributes were highly appreciated in Italy during that period. Another description said, "her mouth is rather large, the teeth brilliantly white, her neck is slender and fair, and

517-477: The Duchy of Spoleto (from 570), and its dukes ruled a considerable part of central Italy. On 29 April 801, it was struck by a severe earthquake . Several of its dukes, mainly during the late 9th century, rose to wear the crown of that empire. Together with other fiefs, it was bequeathed to Pope Gregory VII by the powerful countess Matilda of Tuscany , but for some time struggled to maintain its independence. In 1155 it

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564-768: The Borgias would later accuse her of being pregnant at the time her marriage was annulled for non-consummation. She is known to have retired to the convent of San Sisto in June 1497 to await the outcome of the annulment proceedings, which were finalized in December of the same year. The bodies of Pedro Calderon and a maid, Pantasilea, were found in the Tiber in February 1498. In March 1498, the Ferrarese ambassador claimed that Lucrezia had given birth, but this

611-450: The King of Naples and tradition has it that Lucrezia's brother Cesare Borgia may have had him murdered after his political value waned. Rumors about her and her family cast Lucrezia as a femme fatale , a role in which she has been portrayed in many artworks, novels and films. Lucrezia Borgia was born on 18 April 1480 at Subiaco , near Rome . Her mother was Vannozza dei Cattanei , one of

658-561: The Menotti family and the Spoleto Festival USA board, in the early 1990s a separation was consummated. However, following Menotti's death in February 2007, the city administrations of Spoleto and Charleston started talks to re-unite the two festivals which would climax in Spoleto mayor Massimo Brunini's attending the opening ceremony of Spoleto Festival USA in May 2008. For a short period of time,

705-680: The Papacy , "Lucrezia… was personally popular through her beauty and her affability. Her long golden hair, her sweet childish face, her pleasant expression and her graceful ways, seem to have struck all who saw her." Several rumours have persisted throughout the years, primarily speculating as to the nature of the extravagant parties thrown by the Borgia family. One example is the Banquet of Chestnuts . Many of these allegations concern accusations of Lucrezia's involvement in incest, poisoning, and murder. For example it

752-551: The Two Worlds ' ) was founded in 1958. Because Spoleto was a small town, where real estate and other goods and services were at the time relatively inexpensive, and also because there are two indoor theatres, a Roman theatre and many other spaces, it was chosen by Gian Carlo Menotti as the venue for an arts festival. It is also fairly close to Rome, with good rail connections. It is an important cultural event, held annually in late June-early July. The festival has developed into one of

799-505: The age of 12. After the death of Lucrezia's second husband, her father, Pope Alexander VI, arranged a third marriage. She then married Alfonso I d'Este , Duke of Ferrara , in early 1502 in Ferrara . She had eight children during this marriage and was considered a respectable and accomplished Renaissance duchess, effectively rising above her previous reputation and surviving the fall of the Borgias following her father's death. Neither partner

846-637: The bust is admirably proportioned." One painting, Portrait of a Youth by Dosso Dossi at the National Gallery of Victoria , was identified as a portrait of Lucrezia in November 2008. This painting may be the only surviving formal portrait of Lucrezia Borgia; however, doubts have been cast on that attribution. Several other paintings, such as Veneto 's fanciful portrait, have also been said to depict her, but none have been accepted by scholars at present. According to Mandell Creighton in his History of

893-516: The episcopal see dates from the 4th century: early martyrs of Spoleto are legends, but a letter to the bishop Caecilianus , from Pope Liberius in 354 constitutes its first historical mention. Owing to its elevated position, Spoleto was an important stronghold during the Vandal and Gothic wars; its walls were dismantled by Totila . Under the Lombards , Spoleto became the capital of an independent duchy,

940-425: The execution of Giovanni: the generally accepted version is that Lucrezia was informed of this by her brother Cesare , and she warned her husband, who fled Rome. Alexander asked Giovanni's uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza , to persuade Giovanni to agree to an annulment of the marriage. Giovanni refused and accused Lucrezia of paternal incest. The pope asserted that his daughter's marriage had not been consummated and

987-615: The famed French soldier, the Chevalier Bayard while the latter was co-commanding the French allied garrison of Ferrara in 1510. According to his biographer, the Chevalier became a great admirer of Lucrezia's, considering her a "pearl on this Earth". After a long history of complicated pregnancies and miscarriages, on 14 June 1519 Lucrezia gave birth to her tenth child, named Isabella Maria in honor of Alfonso's sister Isabella d'Este . The child

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1034-435: The fevered love letters the pair wrote one another. It has been claimed that the affair ended when Francesco contracted syphilis and had to end sexual relations with Lucrezia. This last assertion is troublesome as Francesco had contracted syphilis before 1500 as it was known that he passed the disease onto his eldest son Federico Gonzaga who was born in 1500. Francesco did not meet Lucrezia until 1502. Lucrezia also had

1081-406: The governor of Spoleto , in her own right, a position usually held by Cardinals . Her family arranged several marriages for her that advanced their own political position including Giovanni Sforza , Lord of Pesaro and Gradara, Count of Cotignola ; Alfonso of Aragon , Duke of Bisceglie and Prince of Salerno ; and Alfonso I d'Este , Duke of Ferrara. Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of

1128-533: The local volleyball team, Olio Venturi Spoleto, who classified in the quarter finals of the Italian championship in sport . The town's football team, A.D. Voluntas Calcio Spoleto , play in Serie D. ASD Spoleto Rugby, is the Rugby Union club of the town. They affiliated with FIR in 2014 and they play at Serie C2. The Stadio Communale hosted an international Rugby League match, in 2018. The Italy national team (of

1175-501: The lute, poetry, and oration. The biggest testament to her intelligence is her ability in administration, as later on in life she took care of Vatican City correspondence and governance of Ferrara . On 26 February 1491, a matrimonial arrangement was drawn up between Lucrezia and the Lord of Val D'Ayora , in the Kingdom of Valencia , Don Cherubino Joan de Centelles (d. 1522). The arrangement

1222-460: The mistresses of Lucrezia's father, Cardinal Rodrigo de Borgia (later Pope Alexander VI ). During her early life, Lucrezia Borgia's education was entrusted to Adriana Orsini de Milan, a close confidant of her father. Her education would primarily take place in the Palazzo Pizzo de Merlo, a building adjacent to her father's residence. Unlike most educated women of her time, for whom convents were

1269-429: The moment depicted (a Franciscan friar kissing Lucrezia's feet) was invented by the artist. Lucrezia was mother to seven or eight known children: Giovanni Borgia , " infans Romanus " ("Child of Rome", c. 1498–1548) had his paternity acknowledged by Alexander and Cesare in two Papal bulls, but it was rumoured that he was the child of Lucrezia and Perotto. The child (identified in later life as Lucrezia's half-brother)

1316-625: The most important cultural manifestations in Italy, with a three-week schedule of music, theater and dance performances. For some time it became a reference point for modern sculpture exhibits, and works of art left to the city by Alexander Calder and others are a testimony to this. In the United States, a parallel festival — Spoleto Festival USA — held in Charleston, South Carolina was founded in 1977 with Menotti's involvement. The twinning only lasted some 15 years and, after growing disputes between

1363-648: The primary source for knowledge, her education came from within the sphere of intellectuals in the court and close relatives, and it included a solid grounding in the Humanities , which the Catholic Church was reviving at the time. She was a thoroughly accomplished princess, fluent in Spanish, Catalan , Italian, and French, which prepared her for advantageous marriage to any European monarch or prince, and literate in both Latin and Greek . She would also become proficient in

1410-483: The public obtained a credible picture of history stripped of legends and accretions over the centuries. She concentrated on the great Renaissance families: Borgias , Estes , Gonzagas and Sforzas . Especially welcomed was her focus on women in the Renaissance and their interactions with power. Although these works were written in the genre of historical fiction, they were fully documented histories. By 1972, Bellonci

1457-532: The son of Pope Alexander VI. Lucrezia's name is not mentioned in either, and rumours that she was his mother have never been proven. The second bull was kept secret for many years, and Giovanni was assumed to be Cesare's son. This is supported by the fact that in 1502 he became Duke of Camerino , one of Cesare's recent conquests, hence the natural inheritance of the Duke of Romagna 's oldest son. Giovanni went to stay with Lucrezia in Ferrara after Alexander's death, where he

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1504-474: Was Lord of Pesaro and titled Count of Catignola. Giovanni was an illegitimate son of Costanzo I Sforza and therefore a Sforza of the second rank. He married Lucrezia on 12 June 1493 in Rome. Before long, the Borgia family no longer needed the Sforzas, and the presence of Giovanni Sforza in the papal court was superfluous. The Pope needed new, more advantageous political alliances, so he might have covertly ordered

1551-463: Was a municipium . Under the empire it seems to have flourished once again, but is not often mentioned in history. Martial speaks of its wine. Aemilianus , who had been proclaimed emperor by his soldiers in Moesia , was slain by them here on his way from Rome (AD 253), after a reign of three or four months. Rescripts of Constantine (326) and Julian (362) are dated from Spoleto. The foundation of

1598-708: Was a columnist in periodicals such as Il punto (1958–64), and Il Messaggero (1964-70). Many of these articles were compiled and republished in Pubblici segreti (two volumes, 1965 and 1989). Her collection of articles on Italian cities was republished posthumously in Segni sul muro ( Signs on the wall , 1989). Bellonci was inspired by Stendhal and translated some of his work into Italian: Vanina Vanini e altre cronache italiane (1961), La duchessa di Paliano (1994). Among her other translations are Alexandre Dumas ' I tre moschettieri (1977) and Emile Zola 's Nana (1955). Bellonci

1645-512: Was accepted as her half-brother. Following her annulment from Sforza, Lucrezia was married to the Neapolitan Alfonso of Aragon , the half-brother of Sancha of Aragon who was the wife of Lucrezia's brother Gioffre Borgia . The marriage was a short one. They were married in 1498, making Lucrezia the Duchess consort of Bisceglie and Princess consort of Salerno. Lucrezia – not her husband –

1692-457: Was annulled less than two months later in favor of a new contract engaging Lucrezia to Don Gaspare Aversa, Count of Procida (1476-1534). When Rodrigo became Pope Alexander VI, he sought to be allied with powerful princely families and founding dynasties of Italy. He therefore called off Lucrezia's previous engagements and arranged for her to marry Giovanni Sforza , a member of the House of Sforza who

1739-445: Was appointed governor of Spoleto in 1499; Alfonso fled Rome shortly afterwards but returned at Lucrezia's request, only to be murdered in 1500. It was widely rumoured that Lucrezia's brother Cesare was responsible for Alfonso's death, as he had recently allied himself (through marriage) with France against Naples. Lucrezia and Alfonso had one child, Rodrigo of Aragon , who was born in 1499 and predeceased his mother in August 1512 at

1786-614: Was awarded the Viareggio Prize in 1939 for Lucrezia Borgia . In 1979, she won the Premio San Gerolamo for her literary oeuvre. She was posthumously awarded the Strega prize in 1986 for Rinascimento privato . Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was an Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei . She reigned as

1833-432: Was beginning to experiment with the form. For the first time, in the compendium Tu vipera gentile , she introduced fictional characters in order to propel the historical narrative. Similarly, her final novel Rinascimento Privato ( Private Renaissance ) which came out in 1985, was written in the first person by the protagonist Isabella d'Este ; she added fictional characters to describe historical events, in essence creating

1880-433: Was denied by other sources. A child was born, however, in the Borgia household the year before Lucrezia's marriage to Alfonso of Aragon . He was named Giovanni but is known to historians as the " Infans Romanus ". In 1501, two papal bulls were issued concerning the child, Giovanni Borgia. In the first, he was recognized as Cesare's child from an affair before his marriage. The second, contradictory, bull recognized him as

1927-651: Was destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa . In 1213 it was definitively occupied by Pope Gregory IX . During the absence of the papal court in Avignon , it was prey to the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines , until in 1354 Cardinal Albornoz brought it once more under the authority of the Papal States . In 1809, following Napoleon 's conquest of Italy, Spoleto became capital of the short-lived French department of Trasimène . It returned to Papal States control within five years of Napoleon's subsequent defeat. In 1860, after

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1974-401: Was faithful: beginning in 1503, Lucrezia enjoyed a long relationship with her brother-in-law, Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua . Francesco's wife was the cultured intellectual Isabella d'Este , the sister of Alfonso, to whom Lucrezia had made overtures of friendship to no avail. The affair between Francesco and Lucrezia was passionate, more sexual than sentimental as can be attested in

2021-421: Was most likely the result of a liaison between Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia's father) and an unknown mistress and was not Lucrezia's child. Maria Bellonci and maybe other biographers claim that Lucrezia gave birth to three children who did not survive infancy, one by Alfonso of Aragon and two by Alfonso d'Este. She is also thought to have had at least four miscarriages. Spoleto Spoleto

2068-555: Was rumoured that Lucrezia was in possession of a hollow ring that she used to poison drinks. However, no historical basis for these accusations exists beyond the attacks of her enemies. An early 20th-century painting by Frank Cadogan Cowper that hangs in the Tate Britain art gallery in London portrays Lucrezia taking the place of her father, Pope Alexander VI, at an official Vatican meeting. This apparently documents an event, although

2115-423: Was sickly and – fearing she would die unbaptised – Alfonso ordered her to be baptized immediately, with Eleonora Pico della Mirandola and Count Alexandro Serafino as godparents. Lucrezia had become very weak during the pregnancy and fell seriously ill after the birth. After seeming to recover for two days, she worsened again and died on 24 June the same year. She was buried in the convent of Corpus Domini . She

2162-453: Was situated on the eastern branch of the Via Flaminia , which forked into two roads at Narni and rejoined at Forum Flaminii , near Foligno . An ancient road also ran hence to Nursia . The Ponte Sanguinario of the 1st century BC still exists. The forum lies under today's marketplace. Located at the head of a large, broad valley, surrounded by mountains, Spoleto has long occupied

2209-542: Was thus invalid. Giovanni was offered her dowry in return for his cooperation. The Sforza family threatened to withdraw their protection should he refuse. Giovanni finally signed confessions of impotence and documents of annulment before witnesses. There has been speculation that during the prolonged process of the annulment, Lucrezia consummated a relationship with someone, perhaps Alexander's chamberlain Pedro Calderon, also named Perotto. In any case, families hostile to

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