A Renaissance Tapestry: The Gonzaga of Mantua

by Kate Simon

From her long years of immersion in Renaissance history, painting, culture, and writing—and her extensive travels throughout Italy—Kate Simon has written a book about the Gonzaga family of Mantua that brings that dynasty and its era fully to life.

Many of the great names of the Renaissance stride through these pages—Alberti, Mantegna, Ariosto, Machiavelli, Rubens, and others just as important though not as well known. The “Tapestry” of the title bespeaks the number of different strands Kate Simon has woven into a large canvas which gives us the Renaissance at its most exuberant and even grandiose.

We have corrupt popes, wheeling and dealing like modern captains of industry (while frequently fathering illegitimate children), and the dynastic marriages among Europe’s ruling nobility, which so often led to tragedy for the unfortunate couples. We have an apparently inexhaustible appetite for food, wine, and all the other pleasures of the senses, side by side with a deep appreciation for art and literature, for the masque, for architecture and philosophy.

The tangled politics of warring families and factions of the several states of Renaissance Italy, often comical in their complications, are lovingly detailed in Kate Simon’s elegant prose. It was a time of excess in everything, and A Renaissance Tapestry gives a vivid portrait of a family that lived life as fully as any in history.

Genres: History, Italy, Renaissance, Nonfiction, Art, Biography

309 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent look at the state of Italy from the perspective of a noble family whose endeavours are responsible for at least of a few of the works of art in several major museums, including the National Gallery of London, the Victoria & Albert, the Louvre, the National Gallery in Washington, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Readers learn of how the Gonzaga of Mantua plotted, collected, and creating a glittering court of intrigue amidst the chaos of invasions by Cesare Borgia, France, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Papal States. While Milano was invaded and even Rome was sacked, the aristocracy of Mantua arranged glittering spectacles, plotted to outmaneuver their neighbors and protect their lands, creating a haven for those persecuted elsewhere (until the arrival of the Inquisition). We get a closer look at Isabella d’Este, one of the most prominent, lauded, and cultivated ladies in Renaissance Europe, how she ruled in her husband’s absence and often through her sons (until she was replaced by mistresses), collecting artists and works, and maintained a sphere of influence in the shadows of the Borgias and her other devious neighbors. We get a glimpse of how Peter Paul Rubens was shaped as an artist, a diplomat, and a correspondent due to his connection with Mantua. We watch this family spiral into decadence as those in power become less level headed, more flamboyant, and hotblooded, resulting in Gonzaga’s decay, Mantua’s invasion, and its art collection scattered across the world.

This book is a colorful introduction to Italy during the Renaissance and the events which shaped it. If you’ve always been curious about this subject and aren’t sure where to begin, A Renaissance Tapestry is a well-balanced, detailed, focused, and engaging start.

[Robert Hund · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story of a family who were rich during the high life in northern Italy. Description of them and others active during the period, interactions. Who was doing what to whom...

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if I have a favorite Gonzaga after reading this book. The monk the American university is named after is barely mentioned. That so many of them were humpbacked while being born into spectacular wealth and privilege is remarkable. Maybe the apogee for this family was the rule of Federico II who built the summer palace, collected art, supported theater and managed to pick up a few duchies. That he was painted into Raphael's School of Plato as a 10 year old "hostage" is something I will remember. The book did give me strong context for the role of condotierri in this period. But the writing did not suit the subject matter and does not seem to be rooted in deep knowledge of history.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author knows her subject extremely well, but the pace was a little too fast for me. I couldn't tell one generation of the family from another.

I read this for inspiration for a story I'm working on. DNF after a few chapters, but I will keep it for future reference.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose that to trace an entire dynasty, an author must necessarily give a light treatment to even the important characters. I felt like I was missing a lot -- I'm sure I would have enjoyed a series of biographies more. Kate Simon's main calling was apparently as a travel writer. In her opening introduction to Mantua, main seat of the Gonzagas, her writing shows her observing her setting with a poet's imagination.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author manages to make a light and easy read of centuries of Gonzaga rule which is no mean feat given the politics of the time. read whilst in Mantova, I found it really helpful and interesting.