Ricciarda Malaspina (1497 – 15 June 1553) was an Italian noblewoman, who was marquise of Massa and lady of Carrara from 1519 to 1546, and again from May 1547 until her death. She was ultimately succeeded by her younger son Alberico I.

Life

Born in

Massa Massa may refer to: Places *Massa, Tuscany, the administrative seat of the Italian province of Massa-Carrara. *Massa (river), river in Switzerland * Massa (Tanzanian ward), administrative ward in the Mpwapwa district of the Dodoma Region of Ta ...

, she was the daughter of Antonio Alberico II Malaspina and Lucrezia d'Este. His father in 1481 had become marquis of Massa and lord of

Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, west-northwest o ...

, together with his brother Francesco. After rebelling and defeating the latter, and being heirless, Antonio Alberico named his first daughter, Eleonora, as heir of his lands. Elenora was married to Scipione

Fieschi The Fieschi were a noble merchant family from Genoa, Italy, from whom descend the Fieschi Ravaschieri Princes of Belmonte. Of ancient origin, they took their name from the progenitor ''Ugo Fliscus'', descendants of the counts of Lavagna. The fami ...

, count of

Lavagna Lavagna is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy. History and Culture The village, unlike nearby Chiavari which has pre-Roman evidence, seems to have developed in Roman times with the Latin name of ''Lavania''. The ...

, but she died in 1516. The following year Fieschi would marry again, to Ricciarda. The marriage lasted for four years, until he also died heirless. After Antonio Alberico's death in 1519, notwithstanding her being a woman and in spite of the

Salic law The Salic law ( or ; la, Lex salica), also called the was the ancient Frankish civil law code compiled around AD 500 by the first Frankish King, Clovis. The written text is in Latin and contains some of the earliest known instances of Old Du ...

, Ricciarda succeeded in mantaining control over his states. The following year she married

Lorenzo Cybo Lorenzo Cybo Malaspina (20 July 1500 – 14 March 1549) was an Italian general, who was duke of Ferentillo. Family Born at Sampierdarena (in what is modern Genoa), he was the son of Franceschetto Cybo and Maddalena de' Medici, daughter of ''Lo ...

, a Genoese nobleman who was a grandson of

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...

and

Lorenzo de' Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesman, banker, ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Also known as Lorenzo ...

, thus founding the

Cybo-Malaspina The House of Cybo, Cibo or Cibei of Italy was the name of an old and influential aristocratic family from Genoa of Greek origin that ruled the Duchy of Massa and Carrara. History They came to the city in the 12th century. In 1528 the Cybos fo ...

family, who would hold Massa and Carrara until 1829. In a period in which Italy was overrun by the war between

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

, and the Italian states, she allied with Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

. In 1530, she therefore obtained the imperial permission to associate her husband in the lordship. However, after Lorenzo's betrayals, Ricciarda was able to oust him from government in 1541. When their son

Giulio Giulio () is an Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: * Giulio Alberoni (1664–1752), Italian cardinal and statesman * Giulio Alenio (1582–1649), Italian Jesuit missionary and scholar * Giulio Alfieri (1924–2002), Italian ...

came of age, he extorted the lordship from her (1546), but she took back the reins after his involvement in a pro-France plot (1547) and his decapitation in 1548. She continued to reign in Massa until her death in 1553. She was succeeded by her other son Alberico.

Children

# Giulio I Cybo-Malaspina, Marquis of Massa (1525-1547) succeeded his mother in 1546. # Alberico I Cybo-Malaspina, Prince of Massa (1534-1623) succeeded his mother following her death.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cybo-Malaspina, Ricciarda People from the Province of Massa-Carrara 1497 births 1553 deaths Marquisses of Massa Lords of Carrara Ricciarda Ricciarda 16th-century Italian women 16th-century women rulers