Vittoria Della Rovere
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Vittoria della Rovere (7 February 1622 – 5 March 1694) was
Grand Duchess of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was founded in 1569. It succeeded the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy was initially ruled by the House of Medici, until their extinction in 1737. The grand duchy passed to the House of Lorraine, and then, to its cadet ...
as the wife of
Grand Duke Ferdinando II Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. He was remembered by his contemporaries as a man of culture and ...
. She had four children with her husband, two of whom would survive infancy: the future
Cosimo III Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinan ...
, Tuscany's longest-reigning monarch, and Francesco Maria, a
prince of the Church The term Prince of the Church is today used nearly exclusively for Catholic cardinals. However, the term is historically more important as a generic term for clergymen whose offices hold the secular rank and privilege of a prince (in the widest s ...
. At the death of her grandfather Francesco Maria della Rovere, she inherited the Duchies of Rovere and Montefeltro, which reverted to her second son, Francesco Maria, at her death. She was later entrusted with the care of her three grandchildren. Her marriage brought a wealth of treasures to the
House of Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mug ...
, which can today be seen in the
Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...
and the
Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...
in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
.


Infancy

Vittoria della Rovere was the only child of
Federico Ubaldo della Rovere Federico Ubaldo della Rovere (16 May 1605 – 28 June 1623) was Duke of Urbino and the father of Vittoria della Rovere. Biography The eldest son and heir of Francesco Maria II, Duke of Urbino. His parents were cousins. Francesco Maria II ...
, son of the then incumbent Duke of Urbino, Francesco Maria. Her mother was
Claudia de' Medici Claudia de' Medici (4 June 1604 – 25 December 1648) was Regent of the Austrian County of Tyrol during the minority of her son from 1632 until 1646. She was a daughter of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Christina of Lorraine. ...
, a sister of
Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo II de' Medici (12 May 1590 – 28 February 1621) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1609 until his death. He was the elder son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Christina of Lorraine. For the majority of his twelve-ye ...
and the
Duchess of Mantua Lady of Mantua House of Gonzaga, 1328–1433 Marchioness of Mantua House of Gonzaga, 1433–1530 Duchess of Mantua House of Gonzaga, 1530–1627 House of Gonzaga ) , type = Noble house , country = , estates ...
. As an infant it was expected that she would inherit her grandfather's
Duchy of Urbino The Duchy of Urbino was an independent duchy in early modern central Italy, corresponding to the northern half of the modern region of Marche. It was directly annexed by the Papal States in 1625. It was bordered by the Adriatic Sea in the east ...
, but
Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...
convinced Francesco Maria to resign it to
the Papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. The duchy was eventually annexed to the
Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
by
Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...
.Acton, p 111 Instead, she received the Rovere allodial possessions, the Duchies of Rovere and Montefeltro, and art collection which became her property in 1631 aged nine. At the age of one, Vittoria was betrothed to her
Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...
first cousin
Ferdinando II, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de' Medici (14 July 1610 – 23 May 1670) was grand duke of Tuscany from 1621 to 1670. He was the eldest son of Cosimo II de' Medici and Maria Maddalena of Austria. He was remembered by his contemporaries as a man of culture and ...
. Under the influence of her Medici mother, she was sent to
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
to be brought up at the Tuscan court. The marriage was arranged by the Grand Duke's grandmother,
Christina of Lorraine Christina of Lorraine or Christine de Lorraine (16 August 1565 – 19 December 1637) was a member of the House of Lorraine and was the Grand Duchess of Tuscany by marriage. She served as Regent of Tuscany jointly with her daughter-in-law during t ...
, who had been acting as joint regent with her daughter-in-law
Maria Maddalena of Austria Maria Maddalena of Austria (Maria Magdalena; 7 October 1589 – 1 November 1631) was Grand Duchess of Tuscany from the accession of her husband, Cosimo II, in 1609 until his death in 1621. With him, she had eight children, including a duchess of ...
since 1621. Despite Ferdinando II reaching his majority in 1628, Dowager
Grand Duchess Christina Christina of Lorraine or Christine de Lorraine (16 August 1565 – 19 December 1637) was a member of the House of Lorraine and was the Grand Duchess of Tuscany by marriage. She served as Regent of Tuscany jointly with her daughter-in-law during t ...
remained the power behind the throne till her demise in 1636.


Grand Duchess of Tuscany

On 2 August 1634 she privately married Ferdinando, while the official public marriage was celebrated on 6 April 1637. Vittoria was crowned on the next 5 July. Her inheritance was included in her
dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...
which was offered to the Medici. These rich art collections of the family, now in the
Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...
and
Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...
, thus became the property of the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...
. Brought up in the convent of Crocetta, Vittoria's education was a deeply religious one administered by the Dowager Grand Duchesses who had aligned
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
with the
Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
. Her education caused her to be ruled by
priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...
in later life much to the annoyance of her
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
husband. The marriage was consummated six years after the marriage ceremony and Vittoria gave birth to a son who died at the age of two days. Another son followed in 1640 but died at birth. Finally in 1642 the couple had another son named
Cosimo de' Medici Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth ...
who was styled the
Grand Prince of Tuscany Grand Prince of Tuscany House of Medici {, width=95% class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !width = "7%" , Picture !width = "10%" , Name !width = "9%" , Father !width = "10%" , Birth !width = "9%" , Became Prince !width = "9% ...
. Under the influence of their mother, her children also received a deeply
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
education, and arguments between the Grand Ducal couple were sparked when there was a disagreement about the education of the Grand Prince. Shortly after the birth of Cosimo, the couple became estranged: Vittoria caught her husband and a page, Count Bruto della Molera, in bed together. The incident initially caused Vittoria to refuse to speak to her husband. When she decided to try to come to terms with him, however, he declined to be reconciled, and it was almost twenty years before their quarrel was properly made up. They briefly reconciled in 1659, which resulted in the birth of their last child, Prince Francesco Maria, in 1660. The estranged couple had, at best, an unhappy marriage, and lived separately by mutual agreement for many years. Ferdinando II died in 1670 and was thus succeeded by the then Grand Prince as
Cosimo III Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinan ...
. He had been married to
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans Marguerite Louise d'Orléans (28 July 1645 – 17 September 1721) was a Princess of France who became Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Libertine and unruly in conduct from an early age, her relations wit ...
, first cousin of
Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...
, in 1661. A son, Prince Ferdinando, and a daughter, Princess Anna Maria Luisa, were born within four years, and weeks after the accession of Cosimo III, Marguerite Louise was pregnant again. Vittoria della Rovere and her haughty daughter-in-law vied with each other for power. Thanks to her influence over her son, it was Vittoria who triumphed. Cosimo III went so far as to assign his mother the day-to-day administration of Tuscany. As a result, Vittoria was formally admitted into the Grand Duke's ''Consulta'', or "Privy Council", leaving an embittered Marguerite Louise to her own devices.Acton, p 113 The two Grand Duchesses frequently quarrelled over precedence and the ''Consulta'', but Cosimo III always took his mother's side, which only fuelled the ever-growing rages of Orléans.Acton, p 114 Orléans was left to the supervision of her son, the Grand Prince Ferdinando. By early 1671, fighting between Marguerite Louise and Vittoria became so heated that a contemporary remarked that "the
Pitti Palace The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...
has become the devil's own abode, and from morn till midnight only the noise of wrangling and abuse could be heard". Vittoria employed
Caterina Angiola Pieroncini Caterina Angiola Pieroncini was a 17th-century Italian lace-maker, embroiderer and lady-in-waiting for the Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere. Career As a lady-in-waiting to the Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere (1622–1694) who was known ...
as a lady-in-waiting, sending her to Paris in 1664 for training in needlework. Vittoria triumphed when news of her daughter-in-law's pending departure to France came in 1674. The younger grand duchess had lived in virtual imprisonment at the Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano outside Florence for sometime. Eventually, the Grand Ducal couple decided to separate on the condition that Orléans stay at the Abbey Saint Pierre de Montmartre in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Orléans left Tuscany in 1675 never to return. As a result of the abandonment of her children, Vittoria della Rovere was made guardian of her grandchildren: Grand Prince Ferdinando, Princess Anna Maria Luisa and Prince Gian Gastone. Retiring from politics, in her old age, she made long stays in the convent of the Montalve, known as Villa La Quiete, as well as in the
Villa del Poggio Imperiale Villa del Poggio Imperiale (English: Villa of the Imperial Hill) is a predominantly neoclassical former grand ducal villa in Arcetri, just to the south of Florence in Tuscany, Central Italy. Beginning as a villa of the Baroncelli of Florence, ...
, to which she transferred some of the art collection she had inherited. Vittoria della Rovere, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, died in
Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
in 1694 at the age of seventy-two. She was buried at the
Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence The Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St. Lawrence) is one of the largest churches of Florence, Italy, situated at the centre of the main market district of the city, and it is the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici famil ...
. At her death her son Francesco Maria, Cardinal since 1686, inherited the Rovere duchies. The titles became extinct with the extinction of the
House of Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mug ...
with the death of her grandson
Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Gian Gastone de' Medici (born Giovanni Battista Gastone; 24 May 1671 – 9 July 1737) was the seventh and last Medicean Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was the second son of Grand Duke Cosimo III and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans. His sister, Elect ...
in 1737. Her only granddaughter Electress Palatine Anna Maria Luisa willed the contents of the
Medici The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...
properties to the Tuscan state in 1743. The so-called ''Family Pact'' ensured that Medicean art and treasures spanning over nearly three centuries would remain in Florence along with what was once Vittoria's inheritance.Young, p 508


Issue

#Cosimo de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany (19 December 1639 - 21 December 1639), died in infancy. #Unnamed son (1640) #
Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinan ...
(14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723), married
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans Marguerite Louise d'Orléans (28 July 1645 – 17 September 1721) was a Princess of France who became Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Libertine and unruly in conduct from an early age, her relations wit ...
and had issue. #
Francesco Maria de' Medici Francesco Maria de' Medici (12 November 1660 – 3 February 1711) was a member of the House of Medici. He was successively a Governor of Siena, cardinal and later the heir of the duchy of Montefeltro by right of his mother. Biography Med ...
(12 November 1660 – 3 February 1711), married
Eleonora Luisa Gonzaga Eleonora Luisa Gonzaga (13 November 1686 – 16 March 1741) was the Duchess of Rovere and Montefeltro as the wife of Francesco Maria de' Medici. She was the eldest child of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Guastalla and Sabbioneta and his second wif ...
. No issue.


Ancestry


Bibliography

* Adelinda Modesti: Women’s Patronage and Gendered Cultural Networks in Early Modern Europe: Vittoria della Rovere, Grand Duchess of Tuscany (Englische Edition), 2019, E-Book, print edition 298 pages, publisher: Taylor and Francis, ISBN 978-1-351-77811-4.


See also

Caterina Angiola Pieroncini Caterina Angiola Pieroncini was a 17th-century Italian lace-maker, embroiderer and lady-in-waiting for the Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere. Career As a lady-in-waiting to the Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere (1622–1694) who was known ...
, lacemaker for Vittoria della Rovere, and one of her ladies in waiting


Citations


References

*Acton, Harold: ''The Last Medici'', Macmillan, London, 1980, *Young, G. F.: ''The Medici: Volume II'', John Murray, 1920


External links

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Della Rovere, Vittoria 1622 births 1694 deaths People from Pesaro House of Medici Grand Duchesses of Tuscany Vittoria 17th-century Italian women 17th-century Italian nobility Burials at San Lorenzo, Florence