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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
I'll confess, I bought this book solely because of "ten more sons", but I was delighted to find a million more (and factual) reasons why Caterina is just about the most badass woman who ever lived. This was an incredibly well-written biography, packed with detail but also very easy to read. (The epilogue was a bit *too* novelistic, but the majority of the book wasn't nearly so fictionalized and fanciful, so I'll forgive that.) Overall, the author did a great job balancing the specifics of certain historical events with the broader strokes of Italian politics at the time; she gave the reader just enough background so as not to be lost if they were new to the era, but not too many specifics to be bored. And as always, the primary sources were a treat.
Florence is one of the prominent city-states during the Italian Renaissance. I am currently reading various books about the de' Medici family and will return to the subject later on. While searching for books about this time, I happened to find a book about Caterina Riario Sforza (1463-1509). She was the illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan. The story of her life is more than life itself. She was an incredible woman; mother, wife, warrior, and icon. She met many of the important men of her time:
"Pope Sixtus IV, Caterina's benefactor and uncle by marriage, who commissioned the Sistine Chapel frescoes in which she is immortalized.
Count Girolamo Riario, Caterina's first husband and an originator of the Pazzi conspiracy, whose corrupt ways led to their flight from Rome to Forli.
Niccolò Machiavelli, the Florentine political theorist who as a young diplomat was humiliated by Caterina and later took revenge with his pen.
Giacomo Feo, Caterina's secret second husband, a jumped-up family retainer whose assassination led to a bloodbath on the streets of Forli.
Giovanni de' Medici il Popolano, Caterina's beloved third husband, who provided Caterina entrée into Florentine culture and society, and an heir worthy of her legacy.
Cesare Borgia, nephew to the ruthless Borgia pope Alexander VI, who would bring Caterina's rule to an end with unspeakable cruelty."
Raised in the court of Milan, she grew up in a world of intrigues. That might have been the reason for her surviving all the different ordeals she met with during her life. She was married to her first husband at the age of ten and bore him six children. She was intelligent and well-read and considered the most beautiful woman of her time. When her family was threatened she did not hesitate to take unusual measures to save them. Even if it meant to ride from Forli to Rome, eight months pregnant!
She was a true Renaissance person and a celebrity. During the renaissance, a man, or lord (they were mostly men) was expected to speak several languages, play instruments, write poetry, know their geography and be well-traveled. The era developed several polymaths, a person who excels in several areas of specialisation. They are marked by high intelligence, motivation, curiosity, and inspiration. I think for most of us Leonardo da Vinci comes into mind. These polymaths often combined didactic education and competence within different areas, and they continued their education all their life. Caterina was such a person. From an early age, her studies started, and she continued her whole life. When it comes to her practical life it was 'doing by learning'
I am full of admiration for this lady who managed to survive, sometimes on her own terms, in a male world. She mixed violent streaks, especially after her second husband was assassinated when she initiated a bloodbath, with humanitarian ones. Caring for her family and her people. Considering the situation we have today with the coronavirus, this particular paragraph caught my eyes.
"The arrival of the bubonic plague abruptly halted Caterina's pleasant summer. By the end of August, the illness was raging through Forli. The bane of the Renaissance era, this terrible disease came from a bacterium hosted by rats, traveling from the infected rodents to humans via fleas. Its onset was marked by a high fever and enlarged lymph nodes, known as buboes, which typically killed victims within three to four days. Europe's first experience of the Black Death had occurred in 1348 when it claimed a third of the population. One hundred and fifty years later, its cause remained a mystery but most well-informed rulers knew of efficacious ways to limit its spread. Caterina had seen the plague before and though she personally feared it little, she knew its capacity for devastation. This time the stakes were much higher. With Cesare Borgia and the French closing in, a plague would weaken the defenses of Romagna; the sickness would have to be defeated in Forli before it could contaminate other areas. Caterina sealed off her city. No market, no traveling shows, no large assemblies. She brought in special doctors to assist the ill and priests to console the dying. Food and necessities were distributed to the populace free of charge. The city was divided into sectors and subjected to strict rules of hygiene. Those infected were immediately isolated in the Church of San Giovanni while a confraternity of volunteers collected the dead for hasty burial outside the city walls. The clothes, belongings, and even the houses of the incurable were burned, which brought many protests. But these stringent measures saved the region; the casualty count was 179 people, much lower than expected, and the sickness did not reach any of the surrounding countryside."
Elizabeth Lev is an American-born scholar of Renaissance art and culture and a professor of art history in Rome. That she is a very competent historian is evident in the book. There are a lot of details, for some maybe a little bit too much, but it gives important and interesting background to life during the Italian Renaissance. It is a well written fascinating story of a fascinating woman. Ms. Lev warms to her subject and makes Caterina come to life. Caterina is a diverse woman, which you don't always like. One has to take into consideration the times she was living in, the necessities of harsh rules to survive. From a female perspective, this is a story of one of all the strong women in history. Women tend to be kept in the background, but here is one woman coming to the front page and deserving it.
With the marriage to her third husband Giovanni de' Medici, she became part of the cadet family of de' Medicis. Their son Giovanni married the granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and thus connected the two branches of the de' Medici. Their son, Cosimo, was only seven years old when his father died. His father's last words to him were; "You'll be a prince. It's your destiny."
"At the age of seventeen, young Cosimo would take his place. Caterina Sforza had left one last great legacy to the world in her grandson, the first Medici head to wear the crown of the grand duke of Tuscany and the beginning of a line that would become synonymous with the great city of Florence."
"Pope Sixtus IV, Caterina's benefactor and uncle by marriage, who commissioned the Sistine Chapel frescoes in which she is immortalized.
Count Girolamo Riario, Caterina's first husband and an originator of the Pazzi conspiracy, whose corrupt ways led to their flight from Rome to Forli.
Niccolò Machiavelli, the Florentine political theorist who as a young diplomat was humiliated by Caterina and later took revenge with his pen.
Giacomo Feo, Caterina's secret second husband, a jumped-up family retainer whose assassination led to a bloodbath on the streets of Forli.
Giovanni de' Medici il Popolano, Caterina's beloved third husband, who provided Caterina entrée into Florentine culture and society, and an heir worthy of her legacy.
Cesare Borgia, nephew to the ruthless Borgia pope Alexander VI, who would bring Caterina's rule to an end with unspeakable cruelty."
Raised in the court of Milan, she grew up in a world of intrigues. That might have been the reason for her surviving all the different ordeals she met with during her life. She was married to her first husband at the age of ten and bore him six children. She was intelligent and well-read and considered the most beautiful woman of her time. When her family was threatened she did not hesitate to take unusual measures to save them. Even if it meant to ride from Forli to Rome, eight months pregnant!
She was a true Renaissance person and a celebrity. During the renaissance, a man, or lord (they were mostly men) was expected to speak several languages, play instruments, write poetry, know their geography and be well-traveled. The era developed several polymaths, a person who excels in several areas of specialisation. They are marked by high intelligence, motivation, curiosity, and inspiration. I think for most of us Leonardo da Vinci comes into mind. These polymaths often combined didactic education and competence within different areas, and they continued their education all their life. Caterina was such a person. From an early age, her studies started, and she continued her whole life. When it comes to her practical life it was 'doing by learning'
I am full of admiration for this lady who managed to survive, sometimes on her own terms, in a male world. She mixed violent streaks, especially after her second husband was assassinated when she initiated a bloodbath, with humanitarian ones. Caring for her family and her people. Considering the situation we have today with the coronavirus, this particular paragraph caught my eyes.
"The arrival of the bubonic plague abruptly halted Caterina's pleasant summer. By the end of August, the illness was raging through Forli. The bane of the Renaissance era, this terrible disease came from a bacterium hosted by rats, traveling from the infected rodents to humans via fleas. Its onset was marked by a high fever and enlarged lymph nodes, known as buboes, which typically killed victims within three to four days. Europe's first experience of the Black Death had occurred in 1348 when it claimed a third of the population. One hundred and fifty years later, its cause remained a mystery but most well-informed rulers knew of efficacious ways to limit its spread. Caterina had seen the plague before and though she personally feared it little, she knew its capacity for devastation. This time the stakes were much higher. With Cesare Borgia and the French closing in, a plague would weaken the defenses of Romagna; the sickness would have to be defeated in Forli before it could contaminate other areas. Caterina sealed off her city. No market, no traveling shows, no large assemblies. She brought in special doctors to assist the ill and priests to console the dying. Food and necessities were distributed to the populace free of charge. The city was divided into sectors and subjected to strict rules of hygiene. Those infected were immediately isolated in the Church of San Giovanni while a confraternity of volunteers collected the dead for hasty burial outside the city walls. The clothes, belongings, and even the houses of the incurable were burned, which brought many protests. But these stringent measures saved the region; the casualty count was 179 people, much lower than expected, and the sickness did not reach any of the surrounding countryside."
Elizabeth Lev is an American-born scholar of Renaissance art and culture and a professor of art history in Rome. That she is a very competent historian is evident in the book. There are a lot of details, for some maybe a little bit too much, but it gives important and interesting background to life during the Italian Renaissance. It is a well written fascinating story of a fascinating woman. Ms. Lev warms to her subject and makes Caterina come to life. Caterina is a diverse woman, which you don't always like. One has to take into consideration the times she was living in, the necessities of harsh rules to survive. From a female perspective, this is a story of one of all the strong women in history. Women tend to be kept in the background, but here is one woman coming to the front page and deserving it.
With the marriage to her third husband Giovanni de' Medici, she became part of the cadet family of de' Medicis. Their son Giovanni married the granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, and thus connected the two branches of the de' Medici. Their son, Cosimo, was only seven years old when his father died. His father's last words to him were; "You'll be a prince. It's your destiny."
"At the age of seventeen, young Cosimo would take his place. Caterina Sforza had left one last great legacy to the world in her grandson, the first Medici head to wear the crown of the grand duke of Tuscany and the beginning of a line that would become synonymous with the great city of Florence."
informative
medium-paced
This was so good. I love Caterina Sforza. Loved her since watching The Borgias and this book only cemented it. What a fascinating woman who took the world by storm.
The Tigress of Forli is an historical account of a courageous woman, Caterina Sforza, which is her maiden name. She was married three times to a Riario, Feo, and Medici. She had 8 children, held her fortress under a siege for many days, and spent a significant amount of time imprisoned in a dungeon. Yet, have you ever heard of her? She was a woman known throughout Europe for her spirit and fearlessness. This account of Caterina appears very well-researched and all-encompassing, it spans from Caterina's young childhood to her death and includes a lot of the history of her family and Italian politics of the day.
In the late 1400s and early 1500s, Italy was a divided country with constantly warring city-states. Assinations and political corruption were rampant. Depending on the who was the Pope at any given moment, your family could be blessed with good fortune or thrown in a dungeon and forgotten about.
Caterina was schooled as a child that family matters more than the individual and one must do anything to keep the family in good standing (even complacently accepting a marriage at the age of 10 to a much older man) and that military skills are extremely valuable. Surviving three husbands, Caterina proved herself to be an able warrior and protector of her children, since she had to fight to keep her lands so that her children would receive it as an inheritance. Elizabeth Lev's portrayal of Caterina shows her as a caring mother with the spirit of a hundred men in battle. It was inspiring to read about Caterina's life and actions.
I liked that Caterina's struggles were always placed well within the Italian politics of the day. If someone was attacking her, the reader understood why (mostly because they wanted her land). The reader also got glimpses of what else besides military actions were going in Italy and the world. For example, there is a brief mention of Columbus setting sail from Spain in 1492... and we all know where he is heading! Artists were also frequently mentioned and placed within the narrative, such as Botticelli and Michaelangelo.
However, while there were many good parts of the book, I found the beginning a little hard to get into. First, while Caterina is a child, she doesn't control her life, she only watches it around her without making decisions. This makes it hard to connect to the girl until she begins to be an individual for herself. In addition, most of my history comes from historical fiction, where the author takes some creative license to imagine the person is thinking and feeling and spins an historical narrative around the character. The Tigress of Forli, however, is non-fiction and relies only on documented facts. Therefore, the reader is never inside of Caterina's head with an all-access pass to her thoughts and decisions. This makes the book read more like a textbook than a novel.
I think The Tigress of Forli is a great book for anyone interested in strong women in history, Italian politics, European history, or well-written non-fiction books.
In the late 1400s and early 1500s, Italy was a divided country with constantly warring city-states. Assinations and political corruption were rampant. Depending on the who was the Pope at any given moment, your family could be blessed with good fortune or thrown in a dungeon and forgotten about.
Caterina was schooled as a child that family matters more than the individual and one must do anything to keep the family in good standing (even complacently accepting a marriage at the age of 10 to a much older man) and that military skills are extremely valuable. Surviving three husbands, Caterina proved herself to be an able warrior and protector of her children, since she had to fight to keep her lands so that her children would receive it as an inheritance. Elizabeth Lev's portrayal of Caterina shows her as a caring mother with the spirit of a hundred men in battle. It was inspiring to read about Caterina's life and actions.
I liked that Caterina's struggles were always placed well within the Italian politics of the day. If someone was attacking her, the reader understood why (mostly because they wanted her land). The reader also got glimpses of what else besides military actions were going in Italy and the world. For example, there is a brief mention of Columbus setting sail from Spain in 1492... and we all know where he is heading! Artists were also frequently mentioned and placed within the narrative, such as Botticelli and Michaelangelo.
However, while there were many good parts of the book, I found the beginning a little hard to get into. First, while Caterina is a child, she doesn't control her life, she only watches it around her without making decisions. This makes it hard to connect to the girl until she begins to be an individual for herself. In addition, most of my history comes from historical fiction, where the author takes some creative license to imagine the person is thinking and feeling and spins an historical narrative around the character. The Tigress of Forli, however, is non-fiction and relies only on documented facts. Therefore, the reader is never inside of Caterina's head with an all-access pass to her thoughts and decisions. This makes the book read more like a textbook than a novel.
I think The Tigress of Forli is a great book for anyone interested in strong women in history, Italian politics, European history, or well-written non-fiction books.
First of all, today is the anniversary of Caterina Sforza's iconic moment on the battlements where she allegedly lifted her skirts and told the mob to kill her kids since she had to equipment to make more. So cheers to that!
Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici is an iconic character of Renaissance history, but up until this point she was primarily mentioned because of her antagonism toward Cesare Borgia. She was, however, so much more than that. Sure, the display with Cesare Borgia shows the qualities that make her so admirable; her bravery, her intelligence, and her strength. But all of those characteristics had been present in her long before Cesare Borgia marched his army to her doorstep because he decided that he wanted her lands. Caterina Sforza had been outsmarting arrogant men for decades at that point.
This book is incredibly informative, but the best part about this book is the way Lev speaks about Caterina. There is a respect for her subject that many historical women fail to receive in their own biographies. There is a tendency when speaking of Caterina Sforza to cast her as an oversexed woman in a man's world, grabbing the world by the balls in literal and figurative senses. However, Lev contests this perception of her. Sure, Caterina had a lover or two. But she was hardly going around sleeping with every man that she could. She was a pious woman who deeply loved two out of the three of her husbands; all of which died without her ever appearing to have been unfaithful.
I also appreciated the way that Lev handled Caterina's unfortunate treatment by Cesare Borgia after her capture. Having recently read a biography of the Borgias that treated Cesare's treatment of Caterina as a potentially consensual relationship, I appreciated someone with the sense to know that Caterina Sforza would never have consented to anything sexual with a syphilitic man that stole her home from her. Cesare, too, was a brutal piece of human garbage and this situation wasn't the one moment he suddenly lost his vindictive streak.
I highly recommend this to anyone. It is easy to read, super informative, and deals with one of the coolest women that I've ever heard of.
Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici is an iconic character of Renaissance history, but up until this point she was primarily mentioned because of her antagonism toward Cesare Borgia. She was, however, so much more than that. Sure, the display with Cesare Borgia shows the qualities that make her so admirable; her bravery, her intelligence, and her strength. But all of those characteristics had been present in her long before Cesare Borgia marched his army to her doorstep because he decided that he wanted her lands. Caterina Sforza had been outsmarting arrogant men for decades at that point.
This book is incredibly informative, but the best part about this book is the way Lev speaks about Caterina. There is a respect for her subject that many historical women fail to receive in their own biographies. There is a tendency when speaking of Caterina Sforza to cast her as an oversexed woman in a man's world, grabbing the world by the balls in literal and figurative senses. However, Lev contests this perception of her. Sure, Caterina had a lover or two. But she was hardly going around sleeping with every man that she could. She was a pious woman who deeply loved two out of the three of her husbands; all of which died without her ever appearing to have been unfaithful.
I also appreciated the way that Lev handled Caterina's unfortunate treatment by Cesare Borgia after her capture. Having recently read a biography of the Borgias that treated Cesare's treatment of Caterina as a potentially consensual relationship, I appreciated someone with the sense to know that Caterina Sforza would never have consented to anything sexual with a syphilitic man that stole her home from her. Cesare, too, was a brutal piece of human garbage and this situation wasn't the one moment he suddenly lost his vindictive streak.
I highly recommend this to anyone. It is easy to read, super informative, and deals with one of the coolest women that I've ever heard of.
(Note: Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program)
I must confess, I was first attracted to this biography because I knew of Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici through the video game "Assassin's Creed II" and I wanted to learn her full story. Having read Mrs. Lev's first work, I am very glad that I did. In a little less than 300 pages, Mrs. Lev recounts the life of one of the most amazing women in Renaissance history, if not in all of history. Caterina was stubborn, brave, and passionate throughout all of her forty-six years of life and Mrs. Lev captures all of that in a worthy manner. Caterina could also be incredibly and Mrs. Lev doesn't shy away from her darker deeds. Through it all, Mrs. Lev ably dispels the vicious libels (particularly those advanced by Machiavelli) and gets the reader as close to the real Caterina as possible. Of course, introductory chapter on the politics and personalties of Italy at the time of Caterina's birth would have helped. And the first chapters prior to Caterina's seizing of Castel Sant'Angelo following the death of Pope Sixtus IV are a little slow, but that is no fault of Mrs. Lev's. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Renaissance Italian history or in fascinating women in history.
I must confess, I was first attracted to this biography because I knew of Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici through the video game "Assassin's Creed II" and I wanted to learn her full story. Having read Mrs. Lev's first work, I am very glad that I did. In a little less than 300 pages, Mrs. Lev recounts the life of one of the most amazing women in Renaissance history, if not in all of history. Caterina was stubborn, brave, and passionate throughout all of her forty-six years of life and Mrs. Lev captures all of that in a worthy manner. Caterina could also be incredibly and Mrs. Lev doesn't shy away from her darker deeds. Through it all, Mrs. Lev ably dispels the vicious libels (particularly those advanced by Machiavelli) and gets the reader as close to the real Caterina as possible. Of course, introductory chapter on the politics and personalties of Italy at the time of Caterina's birth would have helped. And the first chapters prior to Caterina's seizing of Castel Sant'Angelo following the death of Pope Sixtus IV are a little slow, but that is no fault of Mrs. Lev's. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Renaissance Italian history or in fascinating women in history.
The Tigress of Forli covers the life and death of one of the most fascinating women of the Renaissance. While Ms. Lev strives to present as impartial a picture of Caterina as possible, citing both the negative and positive depictions and rumors that occurred both during her life and well after her death, her appreciation for this remarkable woman peeks through her words. A reader is not bothered by this partiality however, as Caterina’s courage and tenacity at standing up to the most powerful and dangerous men of the time are both astonishing and extremely admirable. Caterina Riario Sforza’s exploits are enough to make women everywhere proud to call her a sister.
Using as many written documents, diaries, and portrayals of Caterina as possible, Ms. Lev drives home the challenges Caterina faced as a woman and as a ruler. Ms. Lev does not apologize for Caterina’s seemingly erratic or ruthless behavior at certain crossroads in her life but rather attempts to explain it using the best data available. The reader is left with a very clear picture of this remarkable woman and greater insight into what drove her to make the decisions she made.
Renaissance Italy was an absolute mess, but Ms. Lev does excellent work explaining the factions, betrayals, families, and everything else that comprised Italy during the reign of the Borgias. Understanding these political machinations are not necessary to understanding the novel or anything else but make the entire biography more enjoyable and heighten the reader's admiration for Caterina.
The Tigress of Forli is an excellent example of a biography done right. Enjoyable and easy to read, it has a real-life heroine who, while ruthless and at times vengeful, still manages to inspire modern day women everywhere. Feminism has nothing on Caterina Riario Sforza.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Galleys for my e-galley!
Using as many written documents, diaries, and portrayals of Caterina as possible, Ms. Lev drives home the challenges Caterina faced as a woman and as a ruler. Ms. Lev does not apologize for Caterina’s seemingly erratic or ruthless behavior at certain crossroads in her life but rather attempts to explain it using the best data available. The reader is left with a very clear picture of this remarkable woman and greater insight into what drove her to make the decisions she made.
Renaissance Italy was an absolute mess, but Ms. Lev does excellent work explaining the factions, betrayals, families, and everything else that comprised Italy during the reign of the Borgias. Understanding these political machinations are not necessary to understanding the novel or anything else but make the entire biography more enjoyable and heighten the reader's admiration for Caterina.
The Tigress of Forli is an excellent example of a biography done right. Enjoyable and easy to read, it has a real-life heroine who, while ruthless and at times vengeful, still manages to inspire modern day women everywhere. Feminism has nothing on Caterina Riario Sforza.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Galleys for my e-galley!
informative
fast-paced
While an engaging and well footnoted biography of a singular renaissance woman, I find myself doubting the accuracy of the research that went into this book because of errors or intentionally misleading word choices for certain unannotated aspects. In particular, in the first couple of chapters Lev claims that Caterina Sforza’s grandmother, Bianca Maria Visconti, is the aunt of Louis XI of France. While is this true that they do have a Visconti relative in common, that relative appears to be Stefano Visconti, Bianca’s great-great grandfather and Louis XI great-great-great-great-great grandfather. To call them aunt and nephew would be stretching the definition of those terms almost to the breaking point and would imply a closer familial relationship than would likely be warranted. Similarly, when discussing the fate of Caterina’s youngest son Giovanni de Medici, Lev states as fact that Ippolito de Medici (who Lev calls the legitimate son of Guiliano de Lorenzo de Medici, but other sources say was born out of wedlock) was assassinated by his cousin Alessandro de Medici (the illegitimate son of Pope Paul III) when the cause of his death is more likely attributable to malaria. Given these errors I have to wonder about the accuracy of the rest of the research.
All in all, a good book but one that should be read with some critical thinking about the information presented.
All in all, a good book but one that should be read with some critical thinking about the information presented.
A readable biography about a truly fascinating woman.
Caterina Sforza was the illegitimate daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan and Lucrezia Landriani. As was usual of illegitimate children of the time, Caterina grew up in her father's home, raised by her stepmother Bona of Savoy.
I could be here all day telling you all the amazing – and sometimes ruthless – things Caterina did. She was married three times and gave birth to nine children. In 1484, while seven months pregnant, Caterina occupied the fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo after Pope Sixtus IV (her husband's uncle) died. She did this in order to guarantee safety and security to her family.
I admire how Caterina often stuck to her guns, even with a couple of ungrateful children, and then having the Borgias breathing down her neck – it was around this time that she gained the nickname Il Tigre. And after a tumultuous life, including being imprisoned, Caterina was able to have some peace with her children and experimenting with her hobby of alchemy. However, it didn't last long. She contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 46.
This biography of the great Caterina Sforza was, as I said, very readable. It wasn't stuffy at all, and the pages just flew by. Anyone interested in the Italian Renaissance and fierce historical women shouldn't be disappointed.