Isabella Boschetti or Boschetto (c.1502 - ?) was a Manutan noblewoman and lover of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua. She was nicknamed 'La bella Boschetta' (the beautiful Boschetta).

Life

She was the second daughter of Giacomo Boschetti, a courtier and soldier in the Gonzaga court who fought at . Her mother was a sister of Baldassarre Castiglione. A few years after she became Federico's mistress she married a nobleman at his court, Francesco Cauzzi Gonzaga, conte di Calvisano, who suffered a violent death in mysterious circumstances. In 1542 she remarried to count Filippo Tornielli.

In 1517 Anna d'Alençon managed to get a betrothal between Federico and her eldest daughter Maria Paleologa

Maria Paleologa

Maria Paleologa was an Italian noblewoman. She was the eldest child of William IX, Marquess of Montferrat and Anna d'Alençon. In 1517 her mother betrothed her to Federico II Gonzaga, son of Isabella d'Este, who later became Marquis and Duke of Mantua...

, but this was broken off when she was accused of trying to poison Isabella. Federico built the Palazzo Te for Isabella from 1525 onwards, where she entertained and received famous guests. The couple had two children, Alessandro (1520–1580), who became State Councillor of the Duchy of Mantua and served in the Spanish army in Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

 during the Dutch Revolt

Dutch Revolt

The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...

, and Emilia (1517–1573) who married Carlo Gonzaga (1523–1555) signore di Gazzuolo

Gazzuolo

Gazzuolo is a comune in the Province of Mantua in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 120 km southeast of Milan and about 20 km southwest of Mantua....

, with whom she had ten children.

In 1531 Federico commissioned Correggio's Danaë

Danaë (Correggio)

Danäe is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Correggio, executed around 1531 and housed in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.-History:...

, apparently intended for the Sala di Ovidio di Palazzo Te, intended for Isabella. Her year of death is unknown.