The Tragedies of the Medici

When Alexandre Dumas wrote his Crimes of the Borgias--and other "Crimes"--he fully intended to compile a companion volume, treating of episodes in the great family of the Medici. With this project in view, he collected much material, and actually published, tentatively, two interesting brochures: Une Année à Florence--in 1841, and Les Galeries de Florence--in 1842.

Nothing, however, came of his more ambitious "idea," and, until to-day, no one has taken in hand to write The Tragedies of the Medici. My attention was first directed to the omission during the preparation of my Guilds of Florence, published in 1906; and I determined to address myself to the forging of that lurid link in the catena of Florentine romance.

In the following pages my readers will see that I have entirely departed from the conventional conceits of the ordinary historian. I have sought to set out the whole truth--not a garbled version--whilst I have fearlessly added decorative features where facts were absent or were too prosaic.

The short "Introduction," dealing with the rise and progress of the house of Medici, will be useful to my public, and the "Chart of the Tragedies" will assist students and others in their appreciation of my enterprise--it is my own compilation and as complete as possible.

The "Bibliography" will help serious readers to a wider reading of my authorities, and the Illustrations--the best procurable--will fix in all my readers' minds something of the actual personalities of my "Tyrants" and my "Victims."

EDGCUMBE STALEY.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

The Pazzi Conspiracy--Lorenzo, "Il Magnifico"--Giuliano, "Il Pensieroso".

CHAPTER II

The First Tyrannicide--Ippolito, "Il Cardinale"--Alessandro, "Il Negro"--Lorenzino, "Il Terribile".

CHAPTER III

A Father's Vengeance--Maria, Giovanni, and Garzia de' Medici--Malatesta de' Malatesti.

CHAPTER IV

Three Murdered Princesses--Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara and Creole de' Contrari--Eleanora Garzia, wife of Piero de Medici, Alessandro Gaci, and Bernardino degl' Antinori--Isabella, Duchess of Bracciano--Troilo d'Orsini and Lelio Torello.

CHAPTER V

True and False Lovers--Francesco, "Il Virtuoso"--Bianca Cappello, "La Figlia di Venezia"--Pietro Buonaventuri--Cassandra de' Borghiani--Pellegrina Buonaventuri, wife of Ulisse Bentivoglio--Antonio Riario.

CHAPTER VI

Pathetic Victims of Fateful Passion--Eleanora degli Albizzi and Sforza Almeni--Cammilla de' Martelli--Virginia de' Medici e d'Este--Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

CHART OF THE TRAGEDIES

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Bianca Cappello-Buonaventuri Giovanni d'Averardo de' Medici "Journey of the Magi" (Medici) "Adoration of the Magi" (Medici) Lucrezia de' Medici Lorenzo Il Magnifico Giuliano Il Pensieroso Ippolito--Cardinal Alessandro--First Duke of Florence Giovanni--"Delle Bande Nere" Eleanora de' Medici Maria Lucrezia de' Medici Giovanni--Cardinal Garzia de' Medici Lucrezia--Duchess of Ferrara Eleanora--Wife of Piero de' Medici Piero de' Medici Isabella--Duchess of Bracciano Francesco--Grand Duke of Tuscany Giovanna de' Medici Don Antonio "de' Medici" Pellegrina Buonaventuri-Bentivoglio Cosimo I--"Tyrant of Tyrants" Cammilla de' Medici Ferdinando de' Medici--Cardinal

INTRODUCTION