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We continue our journey through the Este court of Ferrara, moving from Borso’s decoration of the Palazzo Schifanoia to the ambitious reign of Ercole I. We explore his transformation of Ferrara with the Addizione Erculea and the dazzling Palazzo dei Diamanti, before turning to his son Alfonso and the overlooked brilliance of court painter Dosso Dossi. Finally, we trace how Este patronage shaped Renaissance literature through Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, a chivalric epic that fused fantasy, wit, and courtly ideals into one of the great masterpieces of the age, one that enabled further crosscurrents between the visual and written world.

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Works Discussed:

Palazzo Schifanoia Frescos: https://youtu.be/20FIWIDxEbg?si=_-6t4Iba48X0ozuK

Palazzo dei Diamanti: https://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/rossett/diamant.html

Dosso Dossi

Portrait of Alfonso I, ca. 1534, https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Battista_Dossi,_ritratto_di_Alfonso_I_d%27Este_-_Modena.jpg

Triumph of Bacchus, ca. 1514: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dosso_dossi,_trionfo_di_bacco,_00,1.jpg

Apollo and Daphne, ca 1525: https://youtube.com/shorts/P3o367FdT_c?si=mwY2Z-7Rr0T2Pmyc

Circe/Melissa, ca 1524: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_(Dossi)

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In this episode, we explore the rise of the Este family and the transformation of Ferrara into a vibrant Renaissance court. From Niccolò III’s political maneuvering to Leonello’s humanist vision and groundbreaking artistic patronage, we trace how the Este shaped culture and power in northern Italy. We then turn to Borso d’Este’s reign, examining his use of art and spectacle to project authority, including his enthroned bronze statue. Along the way, we uncover surprising details—like a controversial monument restoration—and set the stage for Ercole I’s ambitious ducal legacy.

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Images Discussed

Pisanello, Portrait of Leonello d'Este, 1441-44 https://www.wga.hu/html_m/p/pisanell/1paintin/este.html

Pisanello, Medal of John VIII, 1438 https://www.wga.hu/html_m/p/pisanell/2medals/palaeol.html

Pisanello, Medal of Leonello d'Este, ca. 1444 https://www.wga.hu/html_m/p/pisanell/2medals/leonell1.html

Antonio di Cristoforo, Niccolo Baroncelli, and Leon Battista Alberti, Equestrian Monument to Niccolo III, 1441 https://equestrianstatue.org/nicolo-lll/

Niccolo Barroncelli, Monument to Borso d'Este, ca. 1452 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Monument_to_Borso_d%27Este_(Ferrara)

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The Court of Lorenzo the Magnificent Part 6 of 6: Architecture

This episode looks at the most significant works of Lorenzo's court architect and dear friend, Giuliano da Sangallo. Among his most important designs, Sangallo was the chief architect and designer behind the Medici Villa at Poggio a Caiano, a countryside escape for Lorenzo that would serve as a prototype for Renaissance villas that came after. Additionally, Lorenzo and Sangallo were involved in the design and creation of the splendid church of Santa Maria delle Carceri in Prato.

Overall, this podcast addresses the way Sangallo served as Lorenzo's chief architect, as well as the way in which he remains an essential figure in understanding Renaissance architecture as a whole. Sangallo was a dedicated follower of Filippo Brunelleschi and Leon Battista Alberti, as well as an expert on the rules of classical architecture.

Works Discussed:

Giuliano da Sangallo, Medici Villa at Poggio a Caiano, begun 1485. http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/villa-poggio-a-caiano.html

Giuliano da Sangallo, Santa Maria delle Carceri, Prato, 1495. https://www.cittadiprato.it/en/Sezioni/content.aspx?XRI=186

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