Alfonsina Orsini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alfonsina Orsini |
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| Portrait of a woman considered to be Alfonsina Orsini, attributed to Sandro Botticelli | |
| Spouse(s) | Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici |
| Issue | |
| Clarice de' Medici Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino Luisa de' Medici |
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| Noble family | Orsini family |
| Father | Roberto Orsini, Conte of Pacentro |
| Mother | Caterina Sanseverino |
| Born | 1472 |
| Died | 7 February 1520 (aged 48) Rome |
| Burial | Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo |
Alfonsina Orsini (1472 – 7 February 1520) was an important noblewoman from Italy. She was a "Regent" of Florence, which means she ruled the city when her son was away. This happened between 1515 and 1519. Some people worried her rule meant the end of Florence's republic, a government where citizens have power.
Alfonsina came from a powerful family and grew up in the royal court of Naples. She married Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici in 1488. She was also the mother of Lorenzo II de' Medici. Alfonsina helped the Medici family return to power after they had been sent away from Florence. She also worked to arrange a royal marriage for her son. She had a lot of influence with Pope Leo X, who was her husband's brother.
Throughout her life, Alfonsina used her wealth and connections to help people. She supported the poor and those who needed help. She also used her power to make her family stronger and wealthier. Alfonsina loved art and architecture. She helped pay for new buildings and for fixing old ones in Florence and Rome. This included churches and palaces for her family.
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Early Life and Family
Alfonsina Orsini was born in 1472. Her parents were Caterina Sanseverino and Roberto Orsini. Her father was the Count of Tagliacozzo and Alba. She grew up in the court of Ferdinand I of Naples, a powerful king.
In 1486, her marriage to Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici was arranged. She brought a dowry of 12,000 ducats when she married him in 1488. A ducat was a type of gold coin. She arrived in Florence in May 1488.
Like other Medici wives, people often asked Alfonsina for help. Religious groups and poor people asked her to help them get aid from her husband or son. They asked for lower taxes, jobs, or to get their property back. Alfonsina, her mother, and her mother-in-law, Clarice Orsini, helped renovate a convent in Florence. A convent is a place where nuns live. They made the dorms bigger and rebuilt the church. Some rooms were even set aside for Medici women to use when needed.
Children
Alfonsina Orsini and her husband, Piero, had three children:
- Clarice de' Medici (1489–1528) married Filippo Strozzi the Younger.
- Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492–1519).
- Luisa de' Medici (born February 1494).
Political Influence
In November 1494, Alfonsina's husband and other Medici men were sent away from Florence. This happened because Piero's talks with the invading Charles VIII of France did not go well. A large crowd attacked the Medici palace. They forced Alfonsina and her mother out and took their jewelry. They then stayed at the convent they had helped rebuild.
Under Florence's laws, women and children were not exiled with their husbands. However, their money and travel were limited. Alfonsina's dowry was taken by the state. Alfonsina tried to negotiate with King Charles to end the exile. He only removed their rebel status, but could not end the exile. In May 1495, she asked to go to Rome to join her husband. She was not allowed. That September, she left without permission and joined Piero in Siena. Her mother was exiled from Florence in March 1497.
Piero died in exile in 1503. Alfonsina returned to Florence in 1507 for a short time. She wanted to get her dowry back and find a husband for her daughter, Clarice. Many people in Florence welcomed her. She worked to gain support for the Medici family to return. Clarice became engaged to Filippo Strozzi in Rome in December 1508. This brought the Strozzi family to the Medici side. Alfonsina gave Clarice a dowry of 4,000 ducats. Alfonsina did not get her own dowry money until late 1510. The Medici family remained exiled until September 1512. Alfonsina stayed in Rome during this time.
When her husband's brother became Pope Leo X, Alfonsina used this to her advantage. She worked to increase her family's income and help her son. She even lobbied for her son-in-law to get an important position in the Vatican. This would give her family direct access to the Vatican's money.
The Medici family began to argue about who should get the most powerful jobs. Alfonsina wanted her son, Lorenzo, to have all the power in Florence. Others wanted power to be shared more. Alfonsina even told Lorenzo to interfere in elections. She wanted to make sure the right people were chosen. She often reminded him to reward families who had been loyal to the Medicis and Orsinis. Around this time, she also started looking for a royal wife for Lorenzo. She thought about a Spanish princess. Eventually, Lorenzo married Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne.
Regency
In June 1515, Alfonsina moved back to the Medici palace in Florence. Florence was still called a republic, but Lorenzo ruled with his mother's help. The Medici palace became the place where government decisions were made.
When Lorenzo led the Florentine army in the summer of 1515, Alfonsina took over ruling in his name. She could not hold an official job, but she guided the government councils. She even edited the letters Lorenzo sent to the councils. The records show that decisions were made "by order of Magnificent Lady Alfonsina." She made sure her chancellor was appointed as the secretary for new laws. She also gave orders on who should be "elected" to the councils.
Alfonsina was also involved in war strategy. When some soldiers left the Spanish army, she started sending peace offers to the French king, Francis I. Pope Leo asked her to choose the people who would negotiate the peace treaty. The treaty allowed the Medici family to continue their rule. She also planned Pope Leo's official visit to Florence in November 1515. He was traveling to sign the peace treaty.
She strongly pushed for her son to receive the Duchy of Urbino in 1516. She also helped pay for his side of the War of Urbino. While Lorenzo was away, she ruled from Rome. She gave directions to Goro Gheri, who worked for her in Florence. Even when Lorenzo gave orders, he checked with Alfonsina first. She was in charge of appointing governors to lands ruled by Florence. These governors followed her orders.
Her rule was not popular. Even during Pope Leo's visit in 1515, posters appeared protesting her greed. They called her an enemy of freedom. Many people in Florence feared the republic was ending and a monarchy was coming. By spring 1519, her health was very poor. She could no longer walk. She died in Rome on February 7, 1520.
When she died, rumors spread that she left a huge fortune. People said it was more than 70,000 ducats. While she did not leave that much, she left about 10,000 ducats to Pope Leo. She trusted him to use the money to care for her daughter and granddaughter. She is buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo.
Influence on Art and Architecture
Before her husband was exiled, Alfonsina supported the artist Mariotto Albertinelli. She sent his paintings to her family members across Italy. In 1504, Alfonsina inherited a castle near Tivoli from her mother. In 1514, her son-in-law wrote about her collection of ancient statues. He said they were among the best in Rome.
From 1515 to 1519, she worked with her son Lorenzo on several big building projects. They continued building a villa at Poggio a Caiano. They also worked on a lake house at Fucecchio and rebuilt gardens in Florence. During this time, she also managed the building of the Medici-Lante Palace in Rome on her own. She hired the architect Nanni di Baccio Bigio for these projects.
See also
In Spanish: Alfonsina Orsini para niños
