The Marchesa

by Sarah Dunant

A bold novel history of ‘the first lady of the Renaissance’

‘An utterly fascinating portrayal of a formidable and brilliant woman wielding power in the complex turmoil of the political landscape of Renaissance Italy – a woman who is irrepressible even in death.’
Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne and Hera

From the acclaimed author of The Birth of Venus and In the Company of the Courtesan comes a vibrant exploration of the Italian Renaissance through the character of Isabella d’Este, the first female art collector and patron of her time. Her famed collection has long since dispersed or been lost, but what remains is her correspondence – thousands of letters preserved in a deconsecrated church and convent in the archive of Mantua.

Here, Isabella’s ghost lies waiting for the right scholar to give voice to her story. Together they resurrect a remarkable from the precocious daughter of a Duke and teenage wife to a Marquis, to a formidable court consort, patron, fashion icon, art collector and political operator, guiding the state of Mantua through the vicissitudes of war.

The Marchesa is Renaissance history at its most vivid, an immersive, multi-layered experience that mixes historical fiction with biography, scholarship and imagery, of both the people and the time. It is also a meditation on our attitude to history itself, challenging how far we can set aside our own values and certainties when it comes to understanding those in the past who grew out of very different cultural soil.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Italy, Historical

376 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2025

About the author

Sarah Dunant is a cultural commentator, award-winning thriller writer and author of five novels set in Renaissance Italy exploring women’s lives through art, sex and religion. She has two daughters, and lives in London and Florence.

Sarah’s monthly history program and podcast on history can be found via the BBC website.

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Dunant's 6th book on Italian Renaissance women may very well be her best! Here she is in top form as she brings to life Isabella d'Este of Ferrara who would marry and become the Marchesa of Mantua. Painstakingly researched, Dunant draws on almost 13,000 letters and correspondence to paints a wonderful picture of a woman who was so well educated thay by Age 6 she was already able to recite by memory a work by Cicero to a diplomat from Mantua who has come to Ferrara to determine if she could be an appropriate wife for the future Marquis of Mantua - she was!! She became the top diplomat in Mantua, designed clothing, made perfumes and became a top art collector in the Renaissance. She bore the Marquis 8 children, 6 of whom survived childbirth, even though her husband was a profligate womanizer, which eventually led to his death by syphilis. Using Isabelle's own words Dunant does a masterful job of drawing us into the world of the Renaissance and brings Isabelle to life after she had been ignored for centuries! Top notch effort!!!!

[Dangerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an unusual and interesting read. The use of two different voices, seemingly from different ages, gets some getting used to but once you realise who is “speaking” then it adds to the narrative. However, did I catch the author’s voice intervening occasionally?
I have to admit, that I found the references to the art and architecture of the period really interesting, but then I have studied it seriously at degree level. It was helped by the numerous illustrations.
It is an interesting read which I found hard to put down.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel that is a mix of historical fiction, biography and art as told by the ghost of the main character, Isabella d’Este.

If women could have had power equivalent to a man in the Renaissance… she would have ranked as the ultimate Renaissance Woman. Born into duty from a great lineage, intelligent and educated, independent, cunning and political, cutting edge of fashion, great of patron to art … she ran a famed court and steered the city state of Mantua while her husband was imprisoned. She was a force in the world in a way few women were at the time.

She left behind a a trove of correspondence after her death that has been preserved in the State Archive of Mantua. It gives a rare insight of the times.

Clearly well researched, it’s not a light read but interesting all the same. First half of the book was a little slow but second half was quick. Very different kind of format with passages of her actual letters and art pieces photographed in the book. Enjoyed this work!

[Feriha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Marchesa is a blend of historical fiction and biography. Using surviving correspondence to and from Isabella d’Este, it cleverly follows her life before and after she became the Marchesa (Marchioness) of Mantua at the age of 15. She was a well-educated woman who was a patron of the Italian Renaissance and commissioned and collected many artworks. She also governed Mantua in the absence of her husband when he was away at war. While the novel primarily focuses on Isabella’s life, it occasionally shifts to the perspective of an art historian who is crafting the narrative of Isabella’s life, while in the presence of her ghost.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. I didn’t know much about Isabella d’Este apart from the vague idea of her being an artwork collector during the Renaissance. Still, I had recently taken an Artwork during the Italian Renaissance elective at uni earlier this year, so I was so happy to be contacted about this arc. Obviously considering this is a blend between fiction and reality, some of the events which take place are speculative but even so, it was very entertaining. I also particularly enjoyed the inclusion of different artwork and translations of parts of the letters. I think Sarah Dunant has such a captivating way of writing and crafting a narrative, regardless of the subject matter.

[thank you to FMcM Associates for the arc!]

[Denise Jarrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way the history of the Marchese of Mantua is presented in this book.  She lies dormant in the pages of thousands of letters, from and to her and about her and comes alive when a student; the writer puts them all in order and breathes life into her. Loved also seeing excerpts of some of the letters and some of the works and people mentioned. Set in Renaissance Italy,  Isabella d'Este is a formidable woman; intelligent, a fashionista and a collector of the arts. But she is also a willing and able political leader and protector of Mantua when her husband is away at war. I don't like to Google when reading a book, I like to immerse myself in the story, but this book was absolutely fascinating,  and I found myself googling places, people, works of art etc as much as reading the story. I even googled the best airport to fly to from home for the shortest drive to Mantua to see the Palazzo Te (it's Venice by the way). An excellent read

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been keeping an eye out for a long time for another Sarah Dunant renaissance Italy potboiler, having enjoyed all her previous efforts in this genre. This didn’t disappoint. It takes an interesting viewpoint - the story is told by the ghost of Isabella d’Este, 15-16th century Marchesa of Mantua, as she watches a researcher working on archive documents from her life in the modern day. This gives the whole thing the feel of a fictionalised biography. As always with Dunant, I liked the characterisation and was entertained by the gallop through history, politics, and dynastic intrigue. She is excellent at creating central female characters with agency, authenticity, and (warts-and-all) likeability. I feel a bit mean not giving this the full 5 stars, but the biography-like framing meant it felt a bit less immediate than, for example, Blood and Beauty. Perhaps a 4.5* and I would happily recommend it.

[A J HOOPER · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told , as if it were, by a ghost, the Marchesa is the story of Isabelle d 'Este' , the Marchesa of Mantua who assembled a fantastic collection of objects d'arts and paintings. The book is illustrated with tiny copies of the d'Este portraits referred to and is itself a mixture of memoir, biography. and reconstructed history.
It will be disappointing to admirers of Dunant's earlier novels but is an impressive monument to d'Este's survival tactics, her single mindedness in ensuring her sons become good rulers and her sheer bloody mindedness and ruthlessness when it comes to doing the ruling herself. Isabella is NOT a feminist icon but sounds like a terrifying figure.

[Teresa Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just keep telling everyone I meet about this book. I read it after listening to Sarah Dunant's programmes on Radio 4 and could not put it down. It was the kind of book I could not put down but then was distraught that I had finished it and no longer had it to look forward to. I can only thank Sarah Dunant for taking me on such an incredible journey through the life of a woman who I knew so little about.
I have read all of Sarah's other novels set in the Italian Renaissance period and if you have not done so you are in for an incredible treat.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Dunant does a masterful job of telling Isabella d’Este’s story and giving us a peek into the life of a true Renaissance woman in every sense of the word. She was an art patron, diplomat, ruler, mother, and wife. She misbehaved by the standards of her time but, by god, I would welcome Isabella to my table any day of the week! This book is a great read!

[Stephen Mallet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sparkling, witty account of the life of a remarkable renaissance woman. I loved the framing of the story and thought the interactions with her researcher were clever and effective. A most enjoyable read, making me want to read other works by this author.

[Steven Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptionally well researched and a fascinating story too.

[Susan Rungta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible blend of history, art, and fiction. This is Sarah Dunant’s best book yet. Not to be missed!