Synopses & Reviews
The court of Ercole d'Este was one of the most glittering in Renaissance Italy. The duke was a prolific builder, and the leader in the revival of classical theater, an enthusiastic patron of musicians, and a creator of magnificent court spectacles. Very little survives to testify to Ercole's achievements, largely because of a devastating earthquake in 1570, but extensive archival evidence has been used to reestablish the duke's achievements and the extent to which he was personally involved in his patronage.
Review
"A thorough gazetteer of churches and of urban and country palaces, as well as an extensive critical apparatus including annotated transcriptions of primary documents, make this beautifully produced study a valuable reference tool for those investigating the dynamics and goals of cultural patronage in the Italian Renaissance." K.V. Gouwens, Choice"Tuohy's voluminous and well-illustrated book is the first research specifically devoted to an assessment of Ercole d'Estw's direct involvement in the archtectural reorganization of late fifteenth-century Ferrara, an impressive series of projects whose final outcome brought into being what Jacob Burckhardt described as the first really modern city in Europe." Stefano Ugo Baldassari, Sixteenth Century Journal"Tuohy has constructed a uniquely rich and authentic picture of one Italian court city." David Friedman, American Historical Review"...solidly based on new and thorough archival scholarship...." Werner Gundersheimer, Speculum
Synopsis
An illustrated account of the life and work of one of the most original and productive patrons of the Italian Renaissance.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; List of illustrations; Preface; 1. The d'Este of Ferrara; 2. The Estense inheritance; 3. The ducal palace; 4. The ducal capital; 5. Court errant: the itinerant court; 6. Princely piety; 7. The decoration and furnishing of palaces; 8. The ephemera of magnificence; 9. As the duke commands; Gazetteer; Plans and genealogical table; Abbreviations and the currency of Ferrara; Sources; Inventory of registers of the camera ducale; Bibliography; Appendices.