Cecilia Gallerani (; early 1473 – 1536) was the favourite and most celebrated of the many mistresses of

Ludovico Sforza Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; "the Moor"). "Arbiter of Italy", according to the expression used by Guicciardini,

, known as Lodovico il Moro,

Duke of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that ele ...

. She is best known as the subject of

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on ...

's painting ''

The Lady with an Ermine The ''Lady with an Ermine'' ; pl, Dama z gronostajem). It is sometimes known as the ''Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani'', the ''Portrait of an Unknown Woman'', the ''Lady with a Ferret'', or the ''Lady with a Marten''., group=n is a portrait paint ...

'' (''circa'' 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 ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

ese intellectuals discussed

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

and other subjects. Cecilia herself presided over these discussions. Gallerani drawing

Family and early life

Cecilia was born in early 1473 into a large family from Siena. Her father's name was Fazio Gallerani. He was not a member of the nobility, but he occupied several important posts at the Milanese court, including the position of ambassador to

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence, officially the Florentine Republic ( it, Repubblica Fiorentina, , or ), was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany. The republic originated in 1115, when the Fl ...

and

Duchy of Lucca The Duchy of Lucca was a small Italian state existing from 1815 to 1847. It was centered on the city of Lucca. By the Congress of Vienna of 1815 the Duchy was to revert to Tuscany on the end of its Bourbon-Parma line of rulers or when the line wou ...

. Her mother was Margherita Busti, the daughter of a noted doctor of law. She was educated alongside her six brothers in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

and literature. In 1483 at the age of ten, Cecilia was betrothed to Stefano Visconti, but the betrothal was broken off in 1487 for unknown reasons. In May 1489, she left home for the Monastero Nuovo, and it was possibly there where she met Ludovico.

Mistress of Ludovico Sforza

Cecilia spoke Latin 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 (19 May 1474 – 13 February 1539) was Marchioness 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, whos ...

, an admirer of the work of Leonardo da Vinci, asked to borrow the portrait, but Cecilia replied 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". "Though reluctant because it no longer resembled her, Cecilia complied, and by the following month the picture was gratefully returned".(L'Arte (1969). pp. 189-91.) Even after Ludovico married

Beatrice d'Este Beatrice d'Este (29 June 1475 – 3 January 1497), was Duchess of Bari and Milan by marriage to Ludovico Sforza (known as "il Moro"). She was one of the most important personalities of the time and, despite her short life, she was a major playe ...

, Cecilia continued to keep her apartments in Ludovico's castle. She had a son, Cesare, on 3 May 1491 by

Ludovico Sforza Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; "the Moor"). "Arbiter of Italy", according to the expression used by Guicciardini,

. 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 ( Cremunés: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about east of Cremona. San Giovanni in Croce borders the following municipalitie ...

, a castle near

Cremona Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) 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'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of the ...

. Cesare, the son of Cecilia and Ludovico Sforza was made

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

of the Church of San Nazaro Maggiore of Milan in 1498; in 1505, he became

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

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 Matteo Bandello ( 1480 – 1562) was an Italian writer, soldier, monk, and, later, a Bishop mostly known for his novellas. His collection of 214 novellas made him the most popular short-story writer of his day. Biography Matteo Bandello wa ...

described her as a patron of the arts. According to others, hers was the first

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ( ...

in Europe.

Cultural references

The Leonardo portrait of Cecilia plays an important role in the plot of the alternative historical novel ''

Fatherland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethn ...

'' by Robert Harris. In the novel the painting is misappropriated by corrupt Nazi officials during the World War 2. The book's epilogue states that in real life, the portrait 'was recovered from Germany at the end of the war and returned to Poland.'

References

External links