Isabella d’Este was the first child of the duke of Ferrara, Ercole d’Este, and of Eleonora d’Aragona. She was betrothed at the age of six to Francesco Gonzaga, heir to the marquisate of the nearby state of Mantua, and even at this young age her confident manner and intelligence impressed those who met her for the first time. Isabella’s formal education had already begun by then, but the experience of growing up in the Ferrarese court, where she mingled with the scholars, poets and artists who were supported by ducal patronage, was perhaps a more important influence in shaping her cultural sensibility. Battista Guarini, the son of the great humanist who established Greek studies in Ferrara, was an early tutor, while Jacomo …
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Citation: James, Carolyn. "Isabella d'Este". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 April 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12296, accessed 21 November 2024.]
