I wanted a mistress for Dickon, and then I found out her mother was from Shropshire and her father fought in Tournai in 1513 and then I just went, oh right, I can write her into the story.
I hope so to, but we never know.
The Grand Duchy of the West - A Valois-Burgundian TL
- Thread starter BlueFlowwer
- Start date
Sooo, Beatrice is dead, Richard might be dead and Bessie has become a mistress ttl as well... What a chapter!
That is about it. Too be fair, Beatrice was fifty years old and since she's a male Manuel I of Portugal, she died only two years before him.
Prince Richard isn't in the best of situations right now. He might be dead or he might not be dead. Same goes for Elizabeth of Austria.
As for Bessie, she just seemed to fit in my tl.
Go big or go home.
Quote attributed to Charles, Duke of Lorraine before he killed the King of effing France in 1507.
That is the question, isn't it? Were is the Prince and Princess?
Chapter 42 - Italy from 1500 to 1517
Chapter 42 – Italy from 1500 to 1517
Renaissance Italy was not dominated by a single monarch, but several ruling houses and the Papacy whom occupied different regions in the peninsula. The Dutchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples was two of the most prominent ruling houses, one in the north and the south of Italy. Ferrante I of Naples had died in 1500 and was succeeded by his grandson, Ferrandino II, as his son and heir Alfonso had died in 1498, much to the relief of the people of Naples as Alfonso was considered a cruel and very loathed hated man. Ferrandino was considered a brilliant and virtuous man, much beloved by all. In 1494 he had married his aunt, Joanna of Naples, and they would have several three children together, the first being named Ferdinand for both his father and Joanna’s uncle, Ferdinand II of Aragon. Ferdinand was born in 1496 and his birth had been celebrated by all of Naples. Ferrandino sought friendly terms with the Crown of Aragon, but he also pursued alliances with the other kingdoms in Italy and the papacy. While the negotiations to wed little Ferdinand to Infante Eleanor of Spain had fallen apart as King Juan III of Castile had decided to marry her to the Imperial house of Hapsburg, he had found a suitable bride in another Infanta Eleanor, the oldest daughter of King Alfonso VI of Portugal and Isabella of Aragon, the sister of Juan. The marriage between Naples and Portugal was a highly prestigious one, as both realms had a vital interest in fighting the barbary pirates and wanted to connect with trade. Infanta Eleanor was rumoured to be one of the most beautiful women in Christendom and the rich dowry she would bring to her marriage would not be amiss in Naples either. Naples was also one of the richest and prosperous kingdoms in the Mediterranean, so the marriage was agreed upon and Eleanor arrived in Naples in splendour in 1511. The following year they welcomed a daughter, Ippolita Leonora, named for her grandmother and mother. A son, Alfonso arrived two years later to even bigger relief.
Milan had seen the reign of Ludovico Sforza ending in 1508, as his last three years had been marked by despair and grief as his wife, Beatrice d’Este had died in 1505. Their oldest son, Ercole Francesco was twelve years old at his mother’s death and the next three years was marked by darkness and grief and Ercole grew up determined to bring back the full glory of Milan. To cement his rule over the duchy he wed his cousin, Ippolita Maria Sforza, the daughter of the late duke Gian Galeazzo Sforza and Isabella of Naples. Since his father had taken over Milan for his nephew, the marriage prevented any other claimants to Milan. It had been his mother’s dying wish to reconcile the families, no doubt feeling guilt in her final moments over the treatment Isabella and her children had received. The marriage was noted for its happiness as Ippolita was a clever and charming, while Ercole was a stern and charismatic ruler.
Ippolita Maria Sforza, Duchess of Milan. This portrait was commissioned by Erole for his wife’s birthday in 1515. It was rather scandalous as it portraited the duchess in this revealing manner, but Ippolita loved it.
Ippolita’s sister, Bona Sforza had wed Ferdinand of Naples, the count of Taranto and Andria. The two sisters had become very distant to each other and Bona never forgave Ippolita for wedding into the family that most likely had murdered their father as well as their sole brother, Francesco, whom had died at the age of twelve under mysterious circumstances. Her marriage to Ferdinand was rather cold and neither spouse got along well.
This was the state of Italy in 1515 when King Juan III of Spain turned his attention to it once more to find a bride for his third son, Gaston. As he planned for Gaston to become the Viceroy of Sicily, a bride from the Italian houses would be highly beneficial to the Spanish infante. As Naples laid closest to Sicily, many noble families hoped that their daughters would be chosen. Queen Joanna and Princess Eleanor lead the charge in finding a bride and the second daughter of Frederick of Naples, the uncle of Ferrandino was picked as the best prospect for Gaston. Frederick had been a faithful lieutenant of his nephew until his death in 1507 and his son, wanted the prestige of his own family being wedded to the king of Spain’s children. Isabella of Taranto had grown up in the Naples court and had been extremely well educated, being raised together with Vittoria Colonna, Giovanna and Maria d’Aragona, both noblewomen in the court of Naples. Isabella was rumoured to be one of the most beautiful women in Italy, with fair skin, and golden hair.
Isabella of Taranto, Infanta of Spain and lady of Sicily
However, if Frederick wanted that marriage, he was going to have to pay for it. Juan demanded a proper dowry for Isabella before the match went through. Frederick was hard pressed to finance the wedding costs as well, and for a while it seemed like the marriage might never happen. But Queen Joanna stepped in and persuaded Ferrandino to help with the dowry and in 1517 the marriage took place in the cathedral of Syracuse. King Juan and Queen Catherine attended the wedding festivities in Sicily, the first and only time they set foot on the island. After a month of celebrations, tours and meetings, the monarchs left Sicily to return to Spain. Juan left Gaston with quite a bit of leeway in governing the island, and it showed that despite the infante’s age of mere seventeen, the king had full faith in his third son. Gaston was perhaps the best administrator of Juan’s son and while Sicily had deep problems that needed heavy untangling, their new Viceroy was a wellspring of ambition, energy and pragmatism.
Infante Gaston of Spain, Viceroy of Sicily in 1526
King Juan maintained a robust network with the Italian realms, as did many renaissance kings. Not only Naples was favoured, but also Milan, Venice and Florence, cities rich in art and culture. And thriving industries. Something that Castile and Aragon badly needed. Juan’s first years as king had given incentives for the manufacturing guilds in Northen Spain regarding the wool trades by encouraging the creation of domestic fabrics instead and lifting the regulations that strangled the industry. The peasants of Castile had also gotten a break from being overtaxed since 1504 and it had continued for nearly ten years now. The metal-based industry in Toledo also flourished, creating swords and armour that had a reputation of being the best in Europe.
Juan was keen on attracting talents from Italy to Spain and many engineers, bankers, craftsmen and painters had found a steady patronage by the king. Domestic humanists like Antonio de Nebrija had been part of his parents’ court and he remained loyal towards their son, even being protected from the inquisition by the king when they believed him too critical in certain ways. Pablo da San Leocadio was also a favourite, as well as Alonso González de Berruguete. In 1515 Juan tried to entice the Venetian painter Tiziano Vercelli in coming to Spain, but was unsuccessful. Despite that the painter often took the king’s commissions during his lifetime. One of the painter Raphael’s works also found their way into the Spanish court before the artist death.
Portrait of Queen Catherine of Spain in 1510. Her dress shows of the Spanish blackwork that was famous in those days. The hare represented her fertility according to art historians.
With the marriage of his youngest son settled, Juan turned his attention to his grandson and another bride. Infante Juan was now eight years old and his bride would not be Italian, as other kingdoms became a priority.
Author's Note: So here is the Italian chapter at last. God grief, this took me a while to finish, as I considered doing a whole sweep of the penninsula, but I decided to keep it to Naples and Milan. And I love these portraits so much and they fit exactly in how I wanted. The last one, with the lady and the hare fit my Catherine of Navarre so damn perfect.
Renaissance Italy was not dominated by a single monarch, but several ruling houses and the Papacy whom occupied different regions in the peninsula. The Dutchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples was two of the most prominent ruling houses, one in the north and the south of Italy. Ferrante I of Naples had died in 1500 and was succeeded by his grandson, Ferrandino II, as his son and heir Alfonso had died in 1498, much to the relief of the people of Naples as Alfonso was considered a cruel and very loathed hated man. Ferrandino was considered a brilliant and virtuous man, much beloved by all. In 1494 he had married his aunt, Joanna of Naples, and they would have several three children together, the first being named Ferdinand for both his father and Joanna’s uncle, Ferdinand II of Aragon. Ferdinand was born in 1496 and his birth had been celebrated by all of Naples. Ferrandino sought friendly terms with the Crown of Aragon, but he also pursued alliances with the other kingdoms in Italy and the papacy. While the negotiations to wed little Ferdinand to Infante Eleanor of Spain had fallen apart as King Juan III of Castile had decided to marry her to the Imperial house of Hapsburg, he had found a suitable bride in another Infanta Eleanor, the oldest daughter of King Alfonso VI of Portugal and Isabella of Aragon, the sister of Juan. The marriage between Naples and Portugal was a highly prestigious one, as both realms had a vital interest in fighting the barbary pirates and wanted to connect with trade. Infanta Eleanor was rumoured to be one of the most beautiful women in Christendom and the rich dowry she would bring to her marriage would not be amiss in Naples either. Naples was also one of the richest and prosperous kingdoms in the Mediterranean, so the marriage was agreed upon and Eleanor arrived in Naples in splendour in 1511. The following year they welcomed a daughter, Ippolita Leonora, named for her grandmother and mother. A son, Alfonso arrived two years later to even bigger relief.
Milan had seen the reign of Ludovico Sforza ending in 1508, as his last three years had been marked by despair and grief as his wife, Beatrice d’Este had died in 1505. Their oldest son, Ercole Francesco was twelve years old at his mother’s death and the next three years was marked by darkness and grief and Ercole grew up determined to bring back the full glory of Milan. To cement his rule over the duchy he wed his cousin, Ippolita Maria Sforza, the daughter of the late duke Gian Galeazzo Sforza and Isabella of Naples. Since his father had taken over Milan for his nephew, the marriage prevented any other claimants to Milan. It had been his mother’s dying wish to reconcile the families, no doubt feeling guilt in her final moments over the treatment Isabella and her children had received. The marriage was noted for its happiness as Ippolita was a clever and charming, while Ercole was a stern and charismatic ruler.
Ippolita Maria Sforza, Duchess of Milan. This portrait was commissioned by Erole for his wife’s birthday in 1515. It was rather scandalous as it portraited the duchess in this revealing manner, but Ippolita loved it.
Ippolita’s sister, Bona Sforza had wed Ferdinand of Naples, the count of Taranto and Andria. The two sisters had become very distant to each other and Bona never forgave Ippolita for wedding into the family that most likely had murdered their father as well as their sole brother, Francesco, whom had died at the age of twelve under mysterious circumstances. Her marriage to Ferdinand was rather cold and neither spouse got along well.
This was the state of Italy in 1515 when King Juan III of Spain turned his attention to it once more to find a bride for his third son, Gaston. As he planned for Gaston to become the Viceroy of Sicily, a bride from the Italian houses would be highly beneficial to the Spanish infante. As Naples laid closest to Sicily, many noble families hoped that their daughters would be chosen. Queen Joanna and Princess Eleanor lead the charge in finding a bride and the second daughter of Frederick of Naples, the uncle of Ferrandino was picked as the best prospect for Gaston. Frederick had been a faithful lieutenant of his nephew until his death in 1507 and his son, wanted the prestige of his own family being wedded to the king of Spain’s children. Isabella of Taranto had grown up in the Naples court and had been extremely well educated, being raised together with Vittoria Colonna, Giovanna and Maria d’Aragona, both noblewomen in the court of Naples. Isabella was rumoured to be one of the most beautiful women in Italy, with fair skin, and golden hair.
Isabella of Taranto, Infanta of Spain and lady of Sicily
However, if Frederick wanted that marriage, he was going to have to pay for it. Juan demanded a proper dowry for Isabella before the match went through. Frederick was hard pressed to finance the wedding costs as well, and for a while it seemed like the marriage might never happen. But Queen Joanna stepped in and persuaded Ferrandino to help with the dowry and in 1517 the marriage took place in the cathedral of Syracuse. King Juan and Queen Catherine attended the wedding festivities in Sicily, the first and only time they set foot on the island. After a month of celebrations, tours and meetings, the monarchs left Sicily to return to Spain. Juan left Gaston with quite a bit of leeway in governing the island, and it showed that despite the infante’s age of mere seventeen, the king had full faith in his third son. Gaston was perhaps the best administrator of Juan’s son and while Sicily had deep problems that needed heavy untangling, their new Viceroy was a wellspring of ambition, energy and pragmatism.
Infante Gaston of Spain, Viceroy of Sicily in 1526
King Juan maintained a robust network with the Italian realms, as did many renaissance kings. Not only Naples was favoured, but also Milan, Venice and Florence, cities rich in art and culture. And thriving industries. Something that Castile and Aragon badly needed. Juan’s first years as king had given incentives for the manufacturing guilds in Northen Spain regarding the wool trades by encouraging the creation of domestic fabrics instead and lifting the regulations that strangled the industry. The peasants of Castile had also gotten a break from being overtaxed since 1504 and it had continued for nearly ten years now. The metal-based industry in Toledo also flourished, creating swords and armour that had a reputation of being the best in Europe.
Juan was keen on attracting talents from Italy to Spain and many engineers, bankers, craftsmen and painters had found a steady patronage by the king. Domestic humanists like Antonio de Nebrija had been part of his parents’ court and he remained loyal towards their son, even being protected from the inquisition by the king when they believed him too critical in certain ways. Pablo da San Leocadio was also a favourite, as well as Alonso González de Berruguete. In 1515 Juan tried to entice the Venetian painter Tiziano Vercelli in coming to Spain, but was unsuccessful. Despite that the painter often took the king’s commissions during his lifetime. One of the painter Raphael’s works also found their way into the Spanish court before the artist death.
Portrait of Queen Catherine of Spain in 1510. Her dress shows of the Spanish blackwork that was famous in those days. The hare represented her fertility according to art historians.
With the marriage of his youngest son settled, Juan turned his attention to his grandson and another bride. Infante Juan was now eight years old and his bride would not be Italian, as other kingdoms became a priority.
Author's Note: So here is the Italian chapter at last. God grief, this took me a while to finish, as I considered doing a whole sweep of the penninsula, but I decided to keep it to Naples and Milan. And I love these portraits so much and they fit exactly in how I wanted. The last one, with the lady and the hare fit my Catherine of Navarre so damn perfect.
@BlueFlowwer ! Amazing chapter! So nice to see a thriving italy (specially naples) without france screwing them over.
Gaston will make Frederick II proud with his care and love for sicily, i can feel it.
Gaston will make Frederick II proud with his care and love for sicily, i can feel it.
It's such a nice place isn't it? And poor Sicily will be better cared for.
Yep. It such a beautiful island! Gaston Will take great care of it
He's going rather well. Without imperial elections and having to fight wars all the time, the spanish treasury is rather fuller and the poor peasants has gotten a whole decade of being less taxed, so they are much happier. Plus, there will be two more weddings in the next spanish chapter.
Spain is looking very nice with a better ecomony and a good governance but i am wondering how long is this going to last if the Reformation still happens on timetable. If they get involved in the equivelant of the Schmaldrick Wars or Thirty Years war without their King also being the Holy Roman Emperor. Or indeed if they have the equivelant in spain due to Juans being less harsh on heresy.
Reformation here will be likely crushed in his cradle with a present Emperor not distracted by other things
quite agree with that, or at worst it will be contained to the north of the Empire,
where direct imperial influence is weakest
That could work very well actually for the reformation.
Spain is gonna focus on the ottomans and Italy for the next decades and oversea colonial endeavours. They aren't gonna meddle to much in the European shenanigans if they can avoid it.
And Juan isn't as extremely harsh on heresy as his parents, he's more a mix of pragmatism and ideological in that matters. And he's rather focused on Spain (and making the papacy do what benefits him), so what does he care if some German dukes want to become protestants?
But the idea of a Spanish led counter reformation is something I want to try.
that makes things a lot easier for the habsburgs, hope they can be tolerant of it.
great focuses for spain