ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the court of the Medici in Florence. It focuses on the first two women who are the duchess Giovanna dAustria and her sister-in-law Isabella de Medici, wife of the Roman noble, Paolo Giordano Orsini, Duke of Bracciano. The documentary and visual evidence these women have left conclusively demonstrates their value and importance to the dynasty. Whether as intellectual patrons or society hostesses, models of piety or political negotiators, not just the ruler's wife but all female members of the dynasty were expected to be actively involved in promoting and maintaining a respected dynasty and a lively court. Such an expectation meant that women at the Medici court had to choose whether to cooperate or to compete with each other, and they did so according to their own particular circumstances and interests, which could change over time.
