ABSTRACT
When Cristoforo Madruzzo died in the summer of 1578, Marenzio had the opportunity of entering the service of Cardinal d'Este without delay. It is at this point that a Marenzio dedication comes into play, one whose real political significance is often poorly understood: his homage to Bianca Cappello, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, in his third book a 6. In October 1587, after the death of the grand duke and grand duchess, Ferdinando, as Francesco's brother and only legitimate heir, was due to ascend the Tuscan throne. On 10 September 1595 Grand Duke Ferdinando wrote a lettera di benservito attesting that Marenzio, who was then about to enter the service of the king of Poland, had been in his service 'for the duration of three years'. For Marenzio's career his participation in the wedding of the century constituted an important, though not decisive, episode.
