ABSTRACT
In recent years, scholars have outlined Duke Cosimo I de' Medici's appropriation of the original literary Florentine academy, the Accademia degli Umidi, and the subsequent transformation of the informal group into an official ducal institute directed toward the fulfillment of Cosimo's 'cultural politics.'! These scholars base their conclusions on archival documents that outline the series of academic reforms that were instituted in the 1540s and 1550s. Yet, less direct methods of investigation can perhaps also shed light on the intersection of politics and culture under Cosimo I. One fascinating event that has remained a mere footnote to literary and historical studies is the 1547 ducal exemption granted to Tullia d'Aragona, the poet and courtesan who had been charged with violating the sumptuary laws regarding prostitutes. During her years in Florence (1545-48) d'Aragona had established close connections with many prominent members of the Accademia Fiorentina. Indeed, she formed a literary circle that included many such members, most notably the scholar Benedetto Varchi, who had close ties to the cademy and to the duke. Both d'Aragona and Varchi had, at different times, benefitted from the duke's support: each had been embroiled in political controversy when Cosimo chose to intercede on their behalf The interaction between the duke, the scholar, and the courtesan includes an interesting exchange of benefits. Exploring the nature of these exchanges, and focusing in particular on Cosimo's special treatment of d'Aragona, can illuminate the less official side of the duke's cultural politics.
