Murder of a Medici Princess by Caroline P. Murphy
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The abundant rumors about Isabella Medici, a supposed unnatural relationship with her father and brother, are put to rest in this new biography. Isabella did have an unnatural relationship with her father, but only in the sense that most fathers of the time period gave little attention to daughters. Isabella was the apple of her father’s eye and a tomboy who loved to go riding and hunting and fishing. Her father found her great company.
When she married a rather lowlife member of the esteemed Orsini family her father was worried that her husband would spend all her money and leave Isabella, a Medici, in poor straits. So he made the husband come to Florence to see Isabella rather than the tradition of having the wife go to her husband’s family in Rome. Her father also felt that Rome was the place of criminal and low activity. He did not want his daughter to live there. And while this was also because her father liked having her around and knew he could take care of her–the real reason was to keep control of Isabella’s dowry from her spendthrift husband.
Her brother Giovanni was 13 months younger than Isabella and they grew up very close. When her brother was made Cardinal at 16!!! as a favor to the father, the newly married Isabella had a lot of time on her hands since she did not go to Rome with her husband. Giovanni was completely out of his league with the appointment and spent a lot of time with the equally unhappy Isabella. Murphy can find no information that the relationship was anything other than a close brother and sister. The rumors seem to have sprung up because of Isabella’s great grief at the death of Giovanni when he was 21.
Although there is ample evidence of Isabella’s murder, the title suggests that the investigation into the murder will consume a lot of the biography. It actualy is one chapter at the end. But before that happens this is an interesting story of a woman who lived an unconventional life for her time.
Great book for anyone wanting to read about Florence–Isabella’s father built the Uffizi among other buildings. Also for anyone who enjoys reading about women of noble birth and women leading unconventional lives.