Cecilia Gallerani
Encyclopedia
Cecilia Gallerani born in Siena, Italy, was the favourite and most celebrated of the many mistresses of Ludovico Sforza
, known as Lodovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. She is best known as the subject of Leonardo da Vinci
's painting The Lady with an Ermine (c. 1489). While posing for the painting she invited Leonardo, who at the time was working as court artist for Sforza, to meetings at which Milan
ese intellectuals discussed philosophy
and other subjects. Cecilia herself presided over these discussions.
. Her father, Fazio, was not of the nobility, but he occupied several posts at the Milanese court, including the position of ambassador to Florence
and Lucca. Her mother was Margherita Busti, the daughter of a noted doctor of Law.
She was educated alongside her six brothers in Latin and literature. In 1483 at the age of ten, Cecilia was betrothed to Stefano Visconti but the betrothal was broken off in 1487 for reasons unknown. In May 1489, she left home for the Monastero Nuovo, and it was possibly there that she met Ludovico.
fluently and was said to be a gifted musician and singer. She also wrote poetry. In about 1489, she sat for Ludovico's court artist and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci, who painted her celebrated portrait, which is known as The Lady with an Ermine. Isabella d'Este
, an admirer of the work of Leonardo da Vinci
, asked to borrow the portrait but Cecilia replied that it no longer looked like her because she had been so young then and 'nobody seeing it and me together would suppose it was made for me'. She did not lend the portrait.
Even after Ludovico married Beatrice d'Este
, Cecilia continued to keep her apartments in Ludovico's castle. Cecilia had a son, Cesare, on 3 May 1491 by Lodovico Sforza.
When Beatrice d'Este found out about their relationship, Ludovico was constrained to ask Cecilia to leave the Porta Giovia castle, the seat of the Ducal court. She was first installed in the Verme Palace, and then given the Carmagnola Palace in 1492, when she married Count Ludovico Carminati de' Brambilla, known as "Il Bergamino". She bore her husband four children. After the death of both her husband and her son (1514–1515), she retired to San Giovanni in Croce
, a castle near Cremona
.
Cesare, the son of Cecilia and Ludovico Sforza was made Abbot
of the Church of San Nazaro Maggiore of Milan in 1498; in 1505, he became canon
of Milan. He died in 1512.
Bandello described her as a patron of the arts. According to others, hers was the first salon
in Europe.
Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...
, known as Lodovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. She is best known as the subject of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's painting The Lady with an Ermine (c. 1489). While posing for the painting she invited Leonardo, who at the time was working as court artist for Sforza, to meetings at which Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese intellectuals discussed philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and other subjects. Cecilia herself presided over these discussions.
Family and early life
Cecilia was born into a large family from SienaSiena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
. Her father, Fazio, was not of the nobility, but he occupied several posts at the Milanese court, including the position of ambassador to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and Lucca. Her mother was Margherita Busti, the daughter of a noted doctor of Law.
She was educated alongside her six brothers in Latin and literature. In 1483 at the age of ten, Cecilia was betrothed to Stefano Visconti but the betrothal was broken off in 1487 for reasons unknown. In May 1489, she left home for the Monastero Nuovo, and it was possibly there that she met Ludovico.
Mistress of Ludovico Sforza
Cecilia spoke LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
fluently and was said to be a gifted musician and singer. She also wrote poetry. In about 1489, she sat for Ludovico's court artist and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci, who painted her celebrated portrait, which is known as The Lady with an Ermine. Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este
Isabella d'Este was Marchesa of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure. She was a patron of the arts as well as a leader of fashion, whose innovative style of dressing was copied by women throughout Italy and at the French court...
, an admirer of the work of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
, asked to borrow the portrait but Cecilia replied that it no longer looked like her because she had been so young then and 'nobody seeing it and me together would suppose it was made for me'. She did not lend the portrait.
Even after Ludovico married Beatrice d'Este
Beatrice d'Este
Beatrice d'Este , duchess of Milan, one of the most beautiful and accomplished princesses of the Italian Renaissance, was the daughter of Ercole I d'Este and younger sister of Isabella d'Este and Alfonso d'Este....
, Cecilia continued to keep her apartments in Ludovico's castle. Cecilia had a son, Cesare, on 3 May 1491 by Lodovico Sforza.
When Beatrice d'Este found out about their relationship, Ludovico was constrained to ask Cecilia to leave the Porta Giovia castle, the seat of the Ducal court. She was first installed in the Verme Palace, and then given the Carmagnola Palace in 1492, when she married Count Ludovico Carminati de' Brambilla, known as "Il Bergamino". She bore her husband four children. After the death of both her husband and her son (1514–1515), she retired to San Giovanni in Croce
San Giovanni in Croce
San Giovanni in Croce is a comune in the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 100 km southeast of Milan and about 25 km east of Cremona....
, a castle near Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
.
Cesare, the son of Cecilia and Ludovico Sforza was made Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the Church of San Nazaro Maggiore of Milan in 1498; in 1505, he became canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Milan. He died in 1512.
Death and legacy
Cecilia died on an unknown date in 1536. She was allegedly buried in the Carminati family tomb in the Church of San Zavedro.Bandello described her as a patron of the arts. According to others, hers was the first salon
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
in Europe.