A Mind of Her Own
This chapter examines the tensions and strategies at play in the last years of the Gonzaga-Este marriage, when Isabella demanded greater physical mobility and diplomatic autonomy on the grounds that she had proved both her political competence and utter loyalty to Gonzaga interests. But as his illness worsened and undermined the physical virility on which his vision of masculinity so relied, Francesco’s conviction in his status as the dominant partner found expression in a greater desire to be seen publicly to command a wife who had acquired a reputation for wilfulness. The acrimonious divergence of views between the pair about how their marriage ought to work in its mature phase, documented in their correspondence and that of Isabella’s secretary, Capilupi, is analysed here alongside episodes of reconciliation, in which Isabella and Francesco recognized the bonds that still united them. The evidence reveals the emotional complexities of a relationship in its third decade.