A noblewoman is a female member of the nobility . Noblewomen form a disparate group, which has evolved over time. Ennoblement of women has traditionally been a rare occurrence; the majority of noblewomen were linked to the nobility by either their father or their husband. However, women of the nobility assumed political functions, participated in the art of war, were cultural patrons, and took on religious responsibilities.
31-456: Bianca Cappello (1548 – 20 October 1587) was an Italian noblewoman , the Grand Duchess consort of Tuscany by marriage to Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany . She was Francesco's mistress that later married him to became his consort . Coincidentally, the creation of the fortunate term serendipity by the writer Horace Walpole is due to a portrait of Bianca. Bianca
62-709: A tryout engagement in Chicago - made a short-lived transfer to Broadway . Bax, Clifford , Bianca Cappello (London, 1927): a modern biography Noblewoman Within nobility, noblewomen are often heiresses who transmit titles or property. They are distinguished by titles of nobility and by appellations to which they are entitled by their birth, marriage, or both when there is accumulation of functions. Common titles of nobility for European women include lady , dame , princess , baroness , countess , queen, duchess , archduchess , and empress . In Asia, some noble title for women include Adi ( Fiji ), Ashi ( Bhutan ), and
93-864: A doctor was not available. Between 1400 and 1700, "women from Northern Europe to the Meditteranean basin permeated every aspect of healthcare services both within and beyond the home". This extended to noblewomen as well. As early as the 12th century, but increasingly in the 16th and 17th centuries, some European noblewomen became healers or pharmacists, as "making medicinal remedies was seen as an entirely proper task for an aristocratic lady to undertake". They would also share medical recipes and knowledge through letters. Several orders of chivalry are open to women or even exclusive to them. As with men, these distinctions can be honorary. They reward acts of bravery, organize groups of women and provide places for discussion and exchange, and to obtain advantages. The Order of
124-628: A favoured mistress seemed dashed. In 1578, Joanna died; a few months later Francesco secretly married Bianca, and on 10 June 1579, the marriage was publicly announced, and Antonio acknowledged as the Duke's son. Two days later, on 12 June, Bianca was crowned the Grand Duchess of Tuscany at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence . The Venetian government now put aside its resentment and was officially represented at
155-461: A long period of neglect it became a national museum in 1984 and since that date has undergone restoration. It is now open to the public. The main attractions of the villa are the Pontormo frescoes depicting Vertumnus and Pomona in the main salon. Most of the interior has lost its original furnishings, but these are being recreated to return the villa to the state described in a 1911 inventory, when it
186-494: Is Christine de Pizan , poet, philosopher and woman of letters from the 15th century, author of works entitled: The Treasure of the City of Ladies and The Book of the City of Ladies . Many women of the nobility were perfectly proficient in writing and reading. They could be sponsors or recipients of works such as books of hours . In Europe, it was common for a woman born noble to run an abbey , take important responsibilities in
217-512: Is named after this first Medici pope. In the following century, the Villa di Poggio a Caiano was used by successive Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany . In 1587, Bianca Cappello and Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany died there within a day of one another after short illnesses; raising the still unsolved question of their poisoning by Francesco’s brother Ferdinand, who succeeded Francesco as Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany . In
248-637: The Huguenot movement and of Dutch religious dissenter David Joris . Ermengarde de Narbonne , viscountess in the 12th century, surrounded herself with a court mixing numerous arts, troubadours , doctors and jurists: she thus promoted the intellectual development of Narbonne in Occitania . European noblewomen were expected, alongside the rest of nobility, to provide charity to the poor and less fortunate. For noblewomen, this could include material goods or services such as medical care. Noblewomen often were given
279-632: The Italian Renaissance was hugely popular at court and in the streets as in France where the sport is known as " jeu de paume ". "Real tennis" (as it is called today), which requires a customised court with elaborate interior playing surfaces, is the model for modern tennis although the sport played in the Renaissance continues to be played today with 46 active courts in France, Australia, the UK and USA. The villa
310-607: The clergy or become a canoness . For example, proof of nobility was mandatory to join the chapter of Epinal. This is the case of Hildegard von Bingen , who in the 12th century was abbess of the Benedictine monastery of Disibodenberg and founder of Rupertsberg Abbey. Considered for her intellectual talents, she was recognized as a Doctor of the Church . Hersende of Champagne was the co-founder (with Robert of Arbrissel ) and first grand prioress of Fontevraud Abbey , mother house of
341-519: The province of Prato , Tuscany region Italy . The town, birthplace of Filippo Mazzei , lies 9 kilometres (6 mi) south of the provincial capital of Prato . Poggio a Caiano has two sister cities : In 1473, a ruined fortified house at Poggio a Caiano called the Ambra, and land and a mill owned by Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai , were bought by Lorenzo de' Medici . Initially, only agricultural improvements were carried out; then in 1485, work began on
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#1732895235269372-516: The 17th and 18th centuries, the architects Giuseppe and Giovan Battista Ruggeri and Antonio Maria Ferri extended the villa. Major improvements to the gardens were also carried out after it came into the ownership of Maria Luisa , Queen of Etruria . Following the Italian unification , the villa was refurbished and used by Victor Emmanuel II of Italy . The villa was donated to the Italian state in 1919. After
403-458: The Imperial Chinese titles of Gege , Mingfu , and Xiangjun . In Europe, marriage contract with a noble could include a clause such as the dower , for queens for example. Thus, in the event of widowhood, we then speak of a dowager queen. In hagiographies , many Christian female saints have noble origins. We can cite Saint Bathilde , wife of Clovis II in the 7th century, and being at
434-615: The Medici family, Cardinal Ferdinand did not allow her to be buried in the Medici family tombs. Instead, some believe that Bianca was buried in an unmarked mass grave under the church of St. Lorenzo, having been brought back to Florence from Poggio a Caiano. In 2006, forensic and toxicology experts at the University of Florence reported evidence of arsenic poisoning in a study published in the British Medical Journal , but in 2010 evidence of
465-562: The Starry Cross in Austria was inspired by orders of chivalry, but is not technically an order of chivalry. It is reserved for ladies of the high nobility and is intended to reward their virtue, good works, and charity. The order was created in 1688 and is still active. Its grand mistress is still a princess of the House of Austria. Poggio a Caiano Poggio a Caiano is a town and comune in
496-494: The age of fifteen she fell in love with Pietro Bonaventuri , a young Florentine clerk in the firm of Salviati family , and on 28 November 1563 escaped with him to Florence, where they were married. In 1564 she had a daughter named Virginia, or, according to other sources, Pellegrina. The Venetian government made every effort to have Bianca arrested and brought back but the Grand Duke Cosimo I intervened in her favour and she
527-481: The duchy; a child by Bianca, though illegitimate, would be a potential heir, and by extension would secure Bianca's own position. In 1576 she duly gave birth to Don Antonio de' Medici (d. 1621), but his father, still hoping to have a legitimate son by his wife, refused to acknowledge him. Francesco and Joanna then produced a son, Grand Prince Philip de' Medici , in 1577; the child survived the perilous months of early infancy, and Bianca's hopes of being anything more than
558-505: The focal character of the novels Bianca Cappello: an historical romance (1843) by Rosina Bulwer Lytton , Bianca Cappello: a tragedy (1873) by Elizabeth C. Kinney , and Bianca (1992) by Robert Elegant . Bianca Cappello, portrayed by Margaret Rawlings , was also the focal character of the Clifford Bax play The Venetian which in 1931 debuted on the West End stage and - subsequent to
589-457: The magnificent wedding festivities, for it saw in Bianca Cappello an instrument for cementing good relations with Tuscany . Bianca's position, however, was still not secure. The heir remained the young Grand Prince Philip; her own son by Francesco, though acknowledged, remained illegitimate, barred from inheriting the duchy. There would be no more children born of the relationship, and Bianca
620-590: The mother of the heir, Bianca's position was far stronger: even if Francesco died before Antonio reached adulthood, Bianca would have a good claim to ruling as regent on her son's behalf, and her husband's family would give her more respect as the mother of the heir. In October 1587, at the Villa Medici in Poggio a Caiano , Francesco and Bianca died on 19 and 20 October, possibly poisoned, or as some historians believe, from malarial fever. As Bianca wasn't an official member of
651-967: The order of Fontevraud, in the 12th century. We observe responsibilities by women of the nobility in several European territories, such as in Scotland . In France, women of the nobility were admitted to the Estates of Brittany . One place in which European noblewomen had more choice and control was in the area of patronage. Noblewomen could often choose which artists they wanted to support. They could also commission manuscripts, religious and otherwise, allowing them to have texts created that reflected their individual interests. For example, noblewomen could commission books of hours in their native languages or with specific choices in wording. Patronage also allowed noblewomen to support social or religious change. Noblewomen could be financial supporters of religious dissenters, for instance; noblewomen were documented supporters of
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#1732895235269682-454: The origin of the very first act in the known world having as its object the abolition of slave trafficking; or a little more recently Saint Jeanne de Chantal in the 16th century , born and wife of a nobleman before entering the orders. In Europe, the life of women under the Ancien Régime was specific, both with regard to their formation and marital alliances. Manuscript sources dealing with
713-499: The parasite Plasmodium falciparum , which causes malaria , was found in Francesco's remains. A modified version of the story of Bianca Cappello served as the basis of the theatrical tragedy Women Beware Women by Thomas Middleton , which debuted circa 1621, thirty-four years after the death of Bianca Cappello (whose name Middleton rendered as Bianca Capella). Bianca Cappello has since had occasional literary incarnations, serving as
744-415: The responsibility of educating their children, although what was expected varied based on time and period. Marie-Elisabeth von Humboldt , in the 18th century, structured very precise instruction, allowing her children, Alexander and Wilhelm , to access courses of a very good level of science and knowledge. In medieval Europe , noblewomen were expected to provide basic medical care to their households if
775-681: The subject are few in number. Nobiliary historiography especially gives place to alliances and titles of the nobility . However, in certain countries such as England, titles of nobility could sometimes be transmitted through women. Likewise, the titles attached to certain lands could be transmitted to their descendants by the women who owned them. Traditionally, the education of noble girls in Europe occurred either in convents (preferably noble chapters) or family homes. Many women testified to their education and their moral, religious and intellectual instruction, in their memoirs or their correspondence. One example
806-459: The villa itself, to designs by Giuliano da Sangallo , who created a large fortified, quadrangular country house built around a central courtyard. A large central hall gave access to rooms with windows overlooking the surrounding countryside; at the time, this design was innovative. On Lorenzo’s death in 1492, the villa was still largely unfinished; however, work resumed under Lorenzo’s second son, Giovanni, who became pope as Leo X . The central hall
837-639: Was a residence of the Savoyard . The formal gardens , now somewhat wild, slope down to the Ombrone at the rear of the villa. Poggio also contains in the North East corner of the formal garden Cosimo I 's tennis court (1543) intact but no longer in use. The palatoia (as the court was referred to in Tuscany – elsewhere known as "pallacorda") was built for Cosimo I at the same time as his court at Palazzo Pitti. The "tennis" of
868-418: Was aware that, if her husband were to die before her, she was lost, for his family, especially his brother Cardinal Ferdinand , hated her bitterly, as an adventuress and interloper. In 1582, however, Grand Prince Philip died. Francesco immediately began working on securing the succession for his remaining son, Antonio, having him legitimated and declared heir apparent, with the support of Philip II of Spain. As
899-518: Was born in Venice, in 1548, as the second child and only daughter of Venetian nobleman Bartolomeo Cappello (1519-1594) and his wife, Pellegrina Morosini , a member of the Morosini family , one of the richest, noblest and most powerful Venetian noble families , and was noted for her great beauty. She had an older brother, Vittorio Cappello (b. 1547), who served as Prime Minister of Tuscany (1579-1581). At
930-511: Was given court employment and consoled himself with other ladies until, in 1572, he was murdered in the streets of Florence in consequence of some amorous intrigue. It is possible that Bianca and Francesco were involved. On the death of Cosimo in 1574 Francesco succeeded to the grand duchy ; he now installed Bianca in a palace (now known as Palazzo di Bianca Cappello ) close to his own and outraged his wife by flaunting his mistress before her. At this point, Francesco had no legitimate son to inherit
961-420: Was left unmolested. However, she did not get on well with her husband's family, who, although noble, were very much impoverished and made her do menial work, until at last her beauty attracted Grand Prince Francesco , son and heir apparent of the grand duke . Although already married to Joanna of Austria , Francesco seduced Bianca and gave her jewels, money and other presents. Bonaventuri, Bianca's husband,