Queens of the Renaissance

The Renaissance wasn't just a period of artistic flowering and philosophical revival, it was an era when certain women seized extraordinary influence despite living in structures designed to marginalize them. M. Beresford Ryley's 1907 account resurrects six remarkable figures: Catherine of Siena, whose fierce spirituality made her a diplomat to popes and kings; Beatrice d'Este, the consummate Renaissance courtier whose letter-writing reveals a razor-sharp mind; Anne of Brittany, who navigated dynastic politics with strategic brilliance; Lucretia Borgia, whose reputation has been savaged by centuries of propaganda; Margaret of Angoulême, patron of poets and balancer of religious factions; and Renée, Duchess of Ferrara, who weathered the Reformation's turbulence. Ryley approaches each life with genuine admiration, rendering these women's stories with warmth and accessibility. The narrative captures both the specific circumstances of each woman's life and the broader currents of Renaissance politics, religion, and culture that shaped, and were shaped by, their interventions.