What do you think?
Rate this book
The Marchesa
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.
'For the longest time after my death, those who claimed an interest in history showed little interest in me. Or indeed women like me. Nor did they seem to care much about the wonder of our city Mantua, Ferrara, Urbino. We may never have been as grand or powerful as Venice or Rome or Florence but our great age - this thing that is now so valued and trumpeted as the Renaissance - would have been a much lesser affair without us.'
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 who grew out of very different cultural soil.
'For the longest time after my death, those who claimed an interest in history showed little interest in me. Or indeed women like me. Nor did they seem to care much about the wonder of our city Mantua, Ferrara, Urbino. We may never have been as grand or powerful as Venice or Rome or Florence but our great age - this thing that is now so valued and trumpeted as the Renaissance - would have been a much lesser affair without us.'
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 who grew out of very different cultural soil.
366 pages, Hardcover
Published June 5, 2025
About the author
Sarah Dunant
65 books1,667 followersSarah Dunant studied history at Newnham College, Cambridge from where she went on to become a writer, broadcaster, teacher and critic.
She is an accredited lecturer with The Arts Society, lecturing on Italian history and Renaissance art, has taught Renaissance studies at Washington University, St. Louis and creative writing at University of Oxford Brookes, from where she was awarded an honorary doctorate for her services to higher education and literature.
Her books have been translated into 30 different languages.
Abridged from Ms Dunant's website.
She is an accredited lecturer with The Arts Society, lecturing on Italian history and Renaissance art, has taught Renaissance studies at Washington University, St. Louis and creative writing at University of Oxford Brookes, from where she was awarded an honorary doctorate for her services to higher education and literature.
Her books have been translated into 30 different languages.
Abridged from Ms Dunant's website.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 11, 2025
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!!!!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ve read and loved many of Sarah Dunant’s novels set in the Renaissance – Sacred Hearts, In the Company of the Courtesan and In the Name of the Family – and now she’s returned to that period in The Marchesa, shining a spotlight on the life of noblewoman Isabella d’Este.
From the very beginning Isabella places herself front and centre of the story. She watches from what she describes as ‘this endless afterlife’ as scholars scour documents from the archives in an effort to research her life. She has one particular favourite scholar whose research she eavesdrops upon and even attempts to guide, for example creating a gentle draught so that a particularly interesting, possibly previously overlooked, document flutters to the floor. Others less favoured receive a blast of cold air.
However, as she points out, historical documents can’t tell the whole story. Documents may have been destroyed or discarded as unimportant. And there are aspects of life that would never be captured on paper: scents, sounds and tastes. As imagined by the author, Isabella sets out to put that right with her own narrative of events.
As in many noble families of the period, Isabella’s marriage to Francisco, Marquis of Mantua, was arranged at an early age as a form of strategic alliance. It was a successful marriage if not one born of love. Isabella found no pleasure in conjugal relations with her husband whose earthy scent and hirsute body repulsed her. As she tartly observes, she had felt more pleasure translating Cicero or Ovid. However she bore him eight children (only six of whom survived beyond infancy) although the longed for male heir took many years to arrive. Francisco was happy to seek sexual pleasure elsewhere, a situation Isabella accepted, but which came back to haunt the family years later.
With Francisco often away on military campaigns, this being a period in which it seemed every state was periodically in alliance with or in conflict with each other, Isabella was left to take over the reins of government. It was something she relished and, frankly, was much more skilful at than her husband. Whereas Francisco often put his foot it in it, Isabella was skilled in the art of diplomacy, exemplified by her carefully crafted letters. She also knew when, in her words, to ‘gild the lily’, marking an event in a way which would flatter. In something of an understament, she observes, ‘Ours was an age when most rulers considered themselves exempt from modesty.’
An entertaining aspect of the book is the contrast between public pronouncement and private thought. An example is in Isabella’s venomous relationship with her sister-in-law, the infamous Lucrezia Borgia, whom she addresses as her ‘sweet sister’ in her letters but in private refers to as ‘this upstart illegitimate Spanish nobody.’ Isabella also gleefully recounts how she deliberately upstaged Lucrezia at her wedding.
Isabella was an avid collector of works of art, the rarer the better, and proved a tough negotiator. She also commissioned works from well-known artists of the day and was quite prepared to lure them away from others. However, she frequently expresses impatience at the slow speed of their work. The book is illustrated with portraits of people mentioned in the book. Isabella herself was unhappy with most of the attempts to capture her likeness.
Isabella absolutely leaps off the page, from her love of fashion to her weakness for sweet things, marzipan fruits being a favourite. In summing her up I can’t do better than Isabella’s favourite scholar’s description of her. ‘Clever, greedy, competitive, imperious, bloody-minded, cunning. She can behave so badly when she wants something, then lie barefacedly about it. Yet she is also, well glorious.’
In her Acknowledgments Sarah Dunant describes The Marchesa as a ‘hybrid of novel, biography and art.’ I think that demonstrates the breadth of appeal of this book. Whether you’re interested in the history and culture of the Renaissance period or want a compelling historical novel that reveals the life of a fascinating woman in an entertaining way, you’ll find it in The Marchesa. It’s also a thought-provoking exploration of how we construct the past. As Isabella observes, ‘It is a slippery idea, this thing called history.’
From the very beginning Isabella places herself front and centre of the story. She watches from what she describes as ‘this endless afterlife’ as scholars scour documents from the archives in an effort to research her life. She has one particular favourite scholar whose research she eavesdrops upon and even attempts to guide, for example creating a gentle draught so that a particularly interesting, possibly previously overlooked, document flutters to the floor. Others less favoured receive a blast of cold air.
However, as she points out, historical documents can’t tell the whole story. Documents may have been destroyed or discarded as unimportant. And there are aspects of life that would never be captured on paper: scents, sounds and tastes. As imagined by the author, Isabella sets out to put that right with her own narrative of events.
As in many noble families of the period, Isabella’s marriage to Francisco, Marquis of Mantua, was arranged at an early age as a form of strategic alliance. It was a successful marriage if not one born of love. Isabella found no pleasure in conjugal relations with her husband whose earthy scent and hirsute body repulsed her. As she tartly observes, she had felt more pleasure translating Cicero or Ovid. However she bore him eight children (only six of whom survived beyond infancy) although the longed for male heir took many years to arrive. Francisco was happy to seek sexual pleasure elsewhere, a situation Isabella accepted, but which came back to haunt the family years later.
With Francisco often away on military campaigns, this being a period in which it seemed every state was periodically in alliance with or in conflict with each other, Isabella was left to take over the reins of government. It was something she relished and, frankly, was much more skilful at than her husband. Whereas Francisco often put his foot it in it, Isabella was skilled in the art of diplomacy, exemplified by her carefully crafted letters. She also knew when, in her words, to ‘gild the lily’, marking an event in a way which would flatter. In something of an understament, she observes, ‘Ours was an age when most rulers considered themselves exempt from modesty.’
An entertaining aspect of the book is the contrast between public pronouncement and private thought. An example is in Isabella’s venomous relationship with her sister-in-law, the infamous Lucrezia Borgia, whom she addresses as her ‘sweet sister’ in her letters but in private refers to as ‘this upstart illegitimate Spanish nobody.’ Isabella also gleefully recounts how she deliberately upstaged Lucrezia at her wedding.
Isabella was an avid collector of works of art, the rarer the better, and proved a tough negotiator. She also commissioned works from well-known artists of the day and was quite prepared to lure them away from others. However, she frequently expresses impatience at the slow speed of their work. The book is illustrated with portraits of people mentioned in the book. Isabella herself was unhappy with most of the attempts to capture her likeness.
Isabella absolutely leaps off the page, from her love of fashion to her weakness for sweet things, marzipan fruits being a favourite. In summing her up I can’t do better than Isabella’s favourite scholar’s description of her. ‘Clever, greedy, competitive, imperious, bloody-minded, cunning. She can behave so badly when she wants something, then lie barefacedly about it. Yet she is also, well glorious.’
In her Acknowledgments Sarah Dunant describes The Marchesa as a ‘hybrid of novel, biography and art.’ I think that demonstrates the breadth of appeal of this book. Whether you’re interested in the history and culture of the Renaissance period or want a compelling historical novel that reveals the life of a fascinating woman in an entertaining way, you’ll find it in The Marchesa. It’s also a thought-provoking exploration of how we construct the past. As Isabella observes, ‘It is a slippery idea, this thing called history.’
July 4, 2025
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.
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.
January 19, 2026
Written from an unusual perspective, the ‘ghost’ of Isabella de’Este recounts her life and her collections as she watches over our novelist researching the countess’ letters.
I have always enjoyed Dunant’s historical novels. This book is a departure in that it cleverly combines biography, historical fiction and art, following the remarkable Isabella through the traumatic period of Italian history in which she lived.
Inevitably the pace is therefore is slower in some parts than others. Nevertheless, it is an excellent way to learn about this important patron of the Renaissance.
NB - The illustrations really help bring the story alive so I wouldn’t recommend reading it on a kindle.
I have always enjoyed Dunant’s historical novels. This book is a departure in that it cleverly combines biography, historical fiction and art, following the remarkable Isabella through the traumatic period of Italian history in which she lived.
Inevitably the pace is therefore is slower in some parts than others. Nevertheless, it is an excellent way to learn about this important patron of the Renaissance.
NB - The illustrations really help bring the story alive so I wouldn’t recommend reading it on a kindle.
October 13, 2026
What a wonderful way to be introduced to the politics and intrigue of the High Italian Renaissance than through the eyes of Isabelle D'Este, Marchess of Mantua, patron of the arts and one of the foremost leading women of the Italian Renaissance in the late 1400s/early 1500s.
Told uniquely through the Isabella's archival ghost (voice?) as she watched over the author's research process into Isabella, Sarah Dunant uses such a unique storytelling style to take us through the life of one of the most influential women of the historical period. Starting in Isabella's childhood all the way through her death, this is such a brilliant work of fiction that takes the reader through an evocative and deep reimagined history of our subject. Using the detail from over 16,000 surviving letters, its remarkable how much the author is able to uncover on our behalf. The story gives us an insight into Isabella's role as a wife, mother, political strategist, patron of the art, diplomat and effective ruler of Mantua at various periods.
As someone who has only recently began to delve more deeply into renaissance art history, I can think of no better way of discovering the art, history and politics of the era than through the 'First Lady of the Renaissance' and counterpart to history's leading Renaissance Men. Isabella's encounters with Leonardo da Vinci, Mantegna, Raphael, Bellini and other leading figures of the period. This book is the perfect combination of biography, art history, and historical fiction; I wish I could study the entire Renaissance period through Dunant's writing!
Told uniquely through the Isabella's archival ghost (voice?) as she watched over the author's research process into Isabella, Sarah Dunant uses such a unique storytelling style to take us through the life of one of the most influential women of the historical period. Starting in Isabella's childhood all the way through her death, this is such a brilliant work of fiction that takes the reader through an evocative and deep reimagined history of our subject. Using the detail from over 16,000 surviving letters, its remarkable how much the author is able to uncover on our behalf. The story gives us an insight into Isabella's role as a wife, mother, political strategist, patron of the art, diplomat and effective ruler of Mantua at various periods.
As someone who has only recently began to delve more deeply into renaissance art history, I can think of no better way of discovering the art, history and politics of the era than through the 'First Lady of the Renaissance' and counterpart to history's leading Renaissance Men. Isabella's encounters with Leonardo da Vinci, Mantegna, Raphael, Bellini and other leading figures of the period. This book is the perfect combination of biography, art history, and historical fiction; I wish I could study the entire Renaissance period through Dunant's writing!
May 19, 2026
4.5
The author describes this as ‘an experimental hybrid of novel, biography and art’. It also has lots of colour photos so the book is worth reading over kindle or audible. I knew very little about the subject or era apart from other novels by the author. It’s very educational and is also a story full of jeopardy with fully developed characters. The dual timelines work well and there is also some witty humour. It shows how difficult it was for even privileged women to gain and use power, the tremendous misogyny of the renaissance and the curse of syphillis. As usual Dunant writes from a feminist POV.
The author describes this as ‘an experimental hybrid of novel, biography and art’. It also has lots of colour photos so the book is worth reading over kindle or audible. I knew very little about the subject or era apart from other novels by the author. It’s very educational and is also a story full of jeopardy with fully developed characters. The dual timelines work well and there is also some witty humour. It shows how difficult it was for even privileged women to gain and use power, the tremendous misogyny of the renaissance and the curse of syphillis. As usual Dunant writes from a feminist POV.
January 18, 2026
I couldn’t stop listening to the Marchesa, telling her story with such vigor and determination. And the framing—with this perfectly meddlesome woman being so attuned to the scholar researching her, well that was an unexpected delight. Well done. I’m going to have to buy the hardcover for the promised color pictures.
November 3, 2025
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!
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!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Isabella d'Este was born on 19th May 1474, the daughter of Ferdinand I, the Aragonese King of Naples, and Isabella of Clermont. From a young age it was obvious that her determination and intelligence would suit her perfectly for the kind of life she was born to live, and on her marriage to Francesco II Gonzaga, Marchese of Mantua, in 1490, she needed to draw on both to fulfil her duties as Marchesa.
Sarah Dunant tells Isabella's story in an unconventional way, beginning with the voice of her ghost, which haunts the archive that stores the many letters she wrote and received during her lifetime. As she looks over the shoulders of the latest researcher keen to unravel the secrets of her life, Isabella takes you back in time to the moments each document refers to.
The book splits nicely into sections that cover her life before and after marriage, and the many difficulties she negotiated as Marchesa of Mantua during times of war, pestilence, and the machinations of others, all the way to her death when the Dowager Marchesa. The story unfolds like a sequence of examinations of a journal, divided up by visits to the researcher in the archive, and excerpts from Isabella's letters. This makes for slow and reflective going at first, but gradually Isabella's voice captivates you, immersing you in the trials of marriage, motherhood, and the things expected her. By the time the disreputable Borgias entered the fray, I was hooked!
Isabella offers a fascinating perspective on a time of considerable political turmoil, dominated by powerplays between competing houses; the ambitions of France, Italy and Spain; and the influence of the church - all through the eyes of a wily and resourceful woman. The role of women behind the scenes when it comes to succession and diplomacy is especially interesting; and there is a wealth of detail about fashion, art, sexual politics, and the consequences of sexual impropriety. She was a prodigious collector of art, and a patron of many of the artists whose names have become synonymous with the Renaissance too, and Dunant takes time to go into detail about Isabella's passion to acquire her collection.
If there is anything I am unsure about here it is Dunant's choice to examine Isabella's story with the addition of a modern, unnamed, female researcher. The segues in the archive do tend to disrupt the flow of the story and introduce a separation between Isabella and the real meat of the novel - particularly when it comes to the impetus that builds up around the antics of the stellar cast of notable figures who make an appearance. However, you do get an intriguing extra dimension this way, which delves into the nature of archival research, and how individual researchers introduce bias. It also gives Isabella an opportunity to comment on episodes from her own life with hindsight. I will leave it to you to decide whether a straight-up historical retelling is your bag, or if a literary side-quest makes things more entertaining.
This is an incredible journey through a turbulent period of history, starting in slow-burn country and burgeoning into a many-layered portrayal of a remarkable woman. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Isabella d'Este, Marchesa of Mantua.
Sarah Dunant tells Isabella's story in an unconventional way, beginning with the voice of her ghost, which haunts the archive that stores the many letters she wrote and received during her lifetime. As she looks over the shoulders of the latest researcher keen to unravel the secrets of her life, Isabella takes you back in time to the moments each document refers to.
The book splits nicely into sections that cover her life before and after marriage, and the many difficulties she negotiated as Marchesa of Mantua during times of war, pestilence, and the machinations of others, all the way to her death when the Dowager Marchesa. The story unfolds like a sequence of examinations of a journal, divided up by visits to the researcher in the archive, and excerpts from Isabella's letters. This makes for slow and reflective going at first, but gradually Isabella's voice captivates you, immersing you in the trials of marriage, motherhood, and the things expected her. By the time the disreputable Borgias entered the fray, I was hooked!
Isabella offers a fascinating perspective on a time of considerable political turmoil, dominated by powerplays between competing houses; the ambitions of France, Italy and Spain; and the influence of the church - all through the eyes of a wily and resourceful woman. The role of women behind the scenes when it comes to succession and diplomacy is especially interesting; and there is a wealth of detail about fashion, art, sexual politics, and the consequences of sexual impropriety. She was a prodigious collector of art, and a patron of many of the artists whose names have become synonymous with the Renaissance too, and Dunant takes time to go into detail about Isabella's passion to acquire her collection.
If there is anything I am unsure about here it is Dunant's choice to examine Isabella's story with the addition of a modern, unnamed, female researcher. The segues in the archive do tend to disrupt the flow of the story and introduce a separation between Isabella and the real meat of the novel - particularly when it comes to the impetus that builds up around the antics of the stellar cast of notable figures who make an appearance. However, you do get an intriguing extra dimension this way, which delves into the nature of archival research, and how individual researchers introduce bias. It also gives Isabella an opportunity to comment on episodes from her own life with hindsight. I will leave it to you to decide whether a straight-up historical retelling is your bag, or if a literary side-quest makes things more entertaining.
This is an incredible journey through a turbulent period of history, starting in slow-burn country and burgeoning into a many-layered portrayal of a remarkable woman. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Isabella d'Este, Marchesa of Mantua.
September 22, 2026
4.25 Stars
Writer and broadcaster Sarah Dunant spent four years researching and writing her latest novel “The Marchesa”, and I was so thankful to receive a GIFTED copy of the upcoming paperback edition from the publisher, Ravenna Press.
It is a beautifully written, utterly compelling and an immersive blend of fiction, biography, scholarship, and art.
It is the life story of Isabella d’Este, one of the most formidable and extraordinary female characters of the Italian Renaissance. Moreover, it's an astonishing life story told in an original way: Isabella relates her own biography directly to us, and, because she has been dissatisfied by previous biographies written about her in the past, we also have her ghost, in the modern day, directing a woman researcher whom she has identified as the right scholar to give voice to her story. She contrives to ensure that this Scholar will find all the key documents amongst thousands of her letters preserved in the state archive of the city of Mantua, so that she can do justice to Isabella's life.
And what a life Isabella's was.
Let's not forget, the Renaissance era was a man's world, but Isabella transcended a difficult childhood relationship with her mother, then a loveless, arranged, dynastic marriage to Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua, to become the first and greatest female art collector of her time, and also the most formidable female political operator, navigating a country comprised of a disunified collection of states existing through fragile alliances, where frequent, brutal warfare and constant invasion, is tempered with high art, culture, fashion and courtly life.
Sarah Dunant's depiction of Isabella is superbly realised. The poet, Ludovico Aristo wrote of Isabella that she was 'graceful, beautiful, wise, discreet, open-minded and magnanimous'. The Scholar's description, however (and for Scholar we read Sarah Dunant's, for it is clearly and surely her), is much more nuanced, rounded and, most importantly, evidence-based, following her extensive research in the Mantuan archive.
We see an Isabella who is 'clever, greedy, competitive, imperious, bloody-minded, and cunning. She can behave so badly when she wants something, then lie barefacedly about it. Yet she is also, well, glorious. A force in the world in a way that few women were then. History throws so much at her and yet she never falters. Or if she does, she picks herself up immediately. She refuses to be anybody victim. And I love her for that.'
As do we all. For all her faults she is an awesome woman, ahead of her time in so many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed learning all about her, and really admired her.
This is a truly impressive, vivid and immersive piece of 'historical faction', with a well realised and rounded main character, and an evocatively rendered depiction of Renaissance life which appeals to all your senses.
Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed Sarah Dunant's The Birth of Venus, In the Company of the Courtesan and Sacred Hearts.
Writer and broadcaster Sarah Dunant spent four years researching and writing her latest novel “The Marchesa”, and I was so thankful to receive a GIFTED copy of the upcoming paperback edition from the publisher, Ravenna Press.
It is a beautifully written, utterly compelling and an immersive blend of fiction, biography, scholarship, and art.
It is the life story of Isabella d’Este, one of the most formidable and extraordinary female characters of the Italian Renaissance. Moreover, it's an astonishing life story told in an original way: Isabella relates her own biography directly to us, and, because she has been dissatisfied by previous biographies written about her in the past, we also have her ghost, in the modern day, directing a woman researcher whom she has identified as the right scholar to give voice to her story. She contrives to ensure that this Scholar will find all the key documents amongst thousands of her letters preserved in the state archive of the city of Mantua, so that she can do justice to Isabella's life.
And what a life Isabella's was.
Let's not forget, the Renaissance era was a man's world, but Isabella transcended a difficult childhood relationship with her mother, then a loveless, arranged, dynastic marriage to Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua, to become the first and greatest female art collector of her time, and also the most formidable female political operator, navigating a country comprised of a disunified collection of states existing through fragile alliances, where frequent, brutal warfare and constant invasion, is tempered with high art, culture, fashion and courtly life.
Sarah Dunant's depiction of Isabella is superbly realised. The poet, Ludovico Aristo wrote of Isabella that she was 'graceful, beautiful, wise, discreet, open-minded and magnanimous'. The Scholar's description, however (and for Scholar we read Sarah Dunant's, for it is clearly and surely her), is much more nuanced, rounded and, most importantly, evidence-based, following her extensive research in the Mantuan archive.
We see an Isabella who is 'clever, greedy, competitive, imperious, bloody-minded, and cunning. She can behave so badly when she wants something, then lie barefacedly about it. Yet she is also, well, glorious. A force in the world in a way that few women were then. History throws so much at her and yet she never falters. Or if she does, she picks herself up immediately. She refuses to be anybody victim. And I love her for that.'
As do we all. For all her faults she is an awesome woman, ahead of her time in so many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed learning all about her, and really admired her.
This is a truly impressive, vivid and immersive piece of 'historical faction', with a well realised and rounded main character, and an evocatively rendered depiction of Renaissance life which appeals to all your senses.
Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed Sarah Dunant's The Birth of Venus, In the Company of the Courtesan and Sacred Hearts.
October 5, 2026
“… history is less to do with the event than the way it is written down and remembered.”
In this exceptionally well-researched novel about Isabella d’Este, we follow Isabella herself as she looks back on her extraordinary life, from childhood to her deathbed—and what a life she led! In an era when women so often remained in the background, Isabella was remarkable, becoming not only a tactful and powerful political operator but also a knowledgeable and passionate patron and collector of art. She understood the importance of forging alliances at a time when Italy was a collection of independent states, frequently at war with one another, and became highly skilled at navigating this precarious political landscape. She was also a hugely influential mother, particularly to her much-loved firstborn son, Federico, ensuring that he understood both his responsibilities and the importance of continuing the family’s legacy.
The novel includes images of the works of art referred to in the text, which I really appreciated. They are exactly the kind of thing I would normally find myself googling while reading a book like this, so I loved the fact that I didn’t need to! Isabella left behind an extraordinary collection of letters, enabling historians to piece together so much of her life, and Sarah Dunant has done a wonderful job of drawing on this wealth of material. She brings Isabella vividly to life, allowing us to see her wit, intelligence and determination, as well as the woman behind the formidable Marchesa. I love it when remarkable women from history are given their own spotlight in books like this.
This novel is an exploration of power, art, motherhood and female authority in a world dominated by men. If you enjoy history but prefer it presented in a more accessible way than traditional non-fiction, then this book is for you. It is detailed without feeling heavy, and the first-person storytelling gives it a wonderfully intimate quality. By the end, you feel as though you have truly become acquainted with the Marchesa herself.
In this exceptionally well-researched novel about Isabella d’Este, we follow Isabella herself as she looks back on her extraordinary life, from childhood to her deathbed—and what a life she led! In an era when women so often remained in the background, Isabella was remarkable, becoming not only a tactful and powerful political operator but also a knowledgeable and passionate patron and collector of art. She understood the importance of forging alliances at a time when Italy was a collection of independent states, frequently at war with one another, and became highly skilled at navigating this precarious political landscape. She was also a hugely influential mother, particularly to her much-loved firstborn son, Federico, ensuring that he understood both his responsibilities and the importance of continuing the family’s legacy.
The novel includes images of the works of art referred to in the text, which I really appreciated. They are exactly the kind of thing I would normally find myself googling while reading a book like this, so I loved the fact that I didn’t need to! Isabella left behind an extraordinary collection of letters, enabling historians to piece together so much of her life, and Sarah Dunant has done a wonderful job of drawing on this wealth of material. She brings Isabella vividly to life, allowing us to see her wit, intelligence and determination, as well as the woman behind the formidable Marchesa. I love it when remarkable women from history are given their own spotlight in books like this.
This novel is an exploration of power, art, motherhood and female authority in a world dominated by men. If you enjoy history but prefer it presented in a more accessible way than traditional non-fiction, then this book is for you. It is detailed without feeling heavy, and the first-person storytelling gives it a wonderfully intimate quality. By the end, you feel as though you have truly become acquainted with the Marchesa herself.
July 7, 2025
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!]
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!]
October 3, 2026
This is a fascinating historical fiction novel based on the life of Isabella d'Este of Ferrara who became the Marchesa of Mantua. During a period in Italian history when men held all the power Isabella managed to carve herself an important place in society and in history. I loved the unusual perspective in which the book is written; as the author is researching her character Isabella has been waiting for her life story to be told in her own words.
Isabella’s parents gave her a classical education which was unusual for a female child at this time and from a young age her intellect shone. Her marriage brought two powerful courts, those of Ferrara and Mantua, together and gave her the freedom to pursue her passions for fashion and art. However, she also proved herself to be an influential and formidable diplomat and efficiently governed Mantua during her husband’s military absences.
I absolutely love historical fiction that’s based on real life and lapped this one up. I haven’t read this author before, but I’m definitely going to be checking out some of her back catalogue. Research the author undertook for this book was phenomenal. I wonder if she is known in Italy as I had never heard of her and have since been reading more about her, particularly around her support for the arts. Very enjoyable historical retelling.
Isabella’s parents gave her a classical education which was unusual for a female child at this time and from a young age her intellect shone. Her marriage brought two powerful courts, those of Ferrara and Mantua, together and gave her the freedom to pursue her passions for fashion and art. However, she also proved herself to be an influential and formidable diplomat and efficiently governed Mantua during her husband’s military absences.
I absolutely love historical fiction that’s based on real life and lapped this one up. I haven’t read this author before, but I’m definitely going to be checking out some of her back catalogue. Research the author undertook for this book was phenomenal. I wonder if she is known in Italy as I had never heard of her and have since been reading more about her, particularly around her support for the arts. Very enjoyable historical retelling.
October 9, 2026
🖼️ The Marchesa by Sarah Dunant
A huge thank you to @WeatherglassBooks @kellydpike for this #gifted copy of the book and having me on this book tour. I adore historical fiction and this one quickly stole my heart.
With a blend of historical facts and information, biographical material as well as art, this book gave me a bit of everything! Set in late 1400s it shares the extraordinary life of Isabella d’Este from a young girl to her ‘old age’. I adored how we got to hear about her whole life - a clever, interesting and formidable girl, then woman, navigating life, duty-bound, during the Italian Renaissance.
I really enjoyed the writing style. Being written in first person, it became easy to follow and I felt like I really got to know Isabella. Her private thoughts as a child, wife, mother, sister, ruler and art collector were fantastically well put together. I loved her quick wit and honesty - she clearly wasn’t a woman easily fooled. Similarly, I loved that her passion for art was shared through this book! I am clueless when it comes to art and yet, I really enjoyed studying the images author Sarah Dunant peppered throughout.
A clearly well-researched book which I’ve really enjoyed reading. Good luck with the tour and the promotions!
#SarahDunant #TheMarchesa #historicalfictionbooks #bookblogger
A huge thank you to @WeatherglassBooks @kellydpike for this #gifted copy of the book and having me on this book tour. I adore historical fiction and this one quickly stole my heart.
With a blend of historical facts and information, biographical material as well as art, this book gave me a bit of everything! Set in late 1400s it shares the extraordinary life of Isabella d’Este from a young girl to her ‘old age’. I adored how we got to hear about her whole life - a clever, interesting and formidable girl, then woman, navigating life, duty-bound, during the Italian Renaissance.
I really enjoyed the writing style. Being written in first person, it became easy to follow and I felt like I really got to know Isabella. Her private thoughts as a child, wife, mother, sister, ruler and art collector were fantastically well put together. I loved her quick wit and honesty - she clearly wasn’t a woman easily fooled. Similarly, I loved that her passion for art was shared through this book! I am clueless when it comes to art and yet, I really enjoyed studying the images author Sarah Dunant peppered throughout.
A clearly well-researched book which I’ve really enjoyed reading. Good luck with the tour and the promotions!
#SarahDunant #TheMarchesa #historicalfictionbooks #bookblogger
October 4, 2026
🖼️ The Marchesa / Sarah Dunant 📜
‘As I have learnt over the years, history is less to do with the event than the way it is written down and remembered.’
We follow Isabella d’Este in an interesting mix of biography, art history, and two voices fused together to bring this extraordinary woman to life. Although this is non-fiction, Isabella’s ‘ghost’ is the key narrator in this book and I’ve never come across history being told in this way before which was incredibly interesting!
Although Italian history is something I admittedly know nothing about, I definitely felt like I learnt a lot reading this, and who doesn’t love a strong female lead that was almost ahead of her time with her relationships, courts, and how she handled herself. “It is amazing to me how scandal can both destroy a woman and make her more enticing at the same time.”
I loved the additions of the artwork being discussed, and later Dunant’s commentary on how she believed Isabella would have thought about what she was seeing, as this private life is obviously missed out from history.
This is painstakingly researched, and that dedication shows prominently throughout.
If you want interesting history, written in a fresh perspective, this is definitely one to keep an eye out for.
September 18, 2026
The author calls this an “experimental hybrid of novel, biography and art”. The spirit of Isabella d’Este is watching over her biographer in the archives, filling in the gaps of the story with her own memories, so it is mostly told in the first person as a kind of novelistic history.
She’s a fascinating character - the world of renaissance Italy is rich with detail. She collected vast amounts of art, ruled in her husband’s absence, was clever, shrewd and mother to several children.
She’s to be admired, though not necessarily liked - despite being told from her point of view, she is able to describe her flaws too.
I think choosing to novelise a history gives you the advantage of imagining all those missing details and giving her a richer emotional life. The disadvantage of making a novel which is so factual is that it whizzes through decades of history without having any real climax to give it impetus. It’s more like a list of events.
I was glad to learn more about the Marchesa Isabella though, and I enjoyed the inclusion of several artworks for reference.
She’s a fascinating character - the world of renaissance Italy is rich with detail. She collected vast amounts of art, ruled in her husband’s absence, was clever, shrewd and mother to several children.
She’s to be admired, though not necessarily liked - despite being told from her point of view, she is able to describe her flaws too.
I think choosing to novelise a history gives you the advantage of imagining all those missing details and giving her a richer emotional life. The disadvantage of making a novel which is so factual is that it whizzes through decades of history without having any real climax to give it impetus. It’s more like a list of events.
I was glad to learn more about the Marchesa Isabella though, and I enjoyed the inclusion of several artworks for reference.
December 6, 2025
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
October 9, 2025
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.
December 30, 2025
Our book club selected The Marchesa as a featured historical fiction read, and it immediately stood out as something special. Sarah Dunant brings Renaissance Italy vividly to life through the voice of Isabella d’Este a woman of extraordinary intelligence, ambition, and cultural influence. What makes this novel especially compelling is its layered approach: part historical fiction, part biography, and part meditation on how we interpret history itself. Isabella’s role as an art patron, political strategist, and cultural tastemaker feels both authentic and strikingly modern. This is the kind of book that invites thoughtful discussion and rewards attentive reading, making it an excellent choice for any serious readers group.
November 6, 2025
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.
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.
May 25, 2026
A novel exploring the Italian Renaissance through the life of Isabelle d`Este. An interesting way of writing an historical work of fiction as the story develops through the use of the Gonzaga archive by a present day scholar. Isabella d`Este observes the female scholar and what she is reading and offers comments on the content of the document. Isabelle makes the point that each historical era interprets the documents from the values and certainties of their cultural period. Isabella attempts to correct this mistaken perspective and goes through her life story as it happened without recourse to hindsight.
Excellent prose and detail makes for a thrilling read.
Excellent prose and detail makes for a thrilling read.
August 8, 2025
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.
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.
August 8, 2025
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!
January 8, 2026
Renaissance Italy.
I was delighted when this book turned up, because it has colour pictures, and some of them I recognised.
I must admit, I had not heard of Isabella d'Este. She tells her own story in ghostly fashion. A tale of life, death, art and adventure. How she and her history survived is quite miraculous. Life was hard, but she lived it magnificently.
I was delighted when this book turned up, because it has colour pictures, and some of them I recognised.
I must admit, I had not heard of Isabella d'Este. She tells her own story in ghostly fashion. A tale of life, death, art and adventure. How she and her history survived is quite miraculous. Life was hard, but she lived it magnificently.
January 19, 2026
3.5 stars, I’m a big Sarah Dunant fan, but I don’t think this is her strongest. The premise is interesting - Isabella’s ghost tells her life story as she watches a scholar review her archives - but lent itself to a fair amount of cloying, anachronistic editorializing. I personally prefer the fully immersive quality of Dunant’s other historical fiction.
April 6, 2026
The duel aspect of narration via research and subject detracted from the narrative in my opinion. The character alone could have worked far better. I have loved other books by Sarah Dunant but this missed the mark for me. The audiobook was narrated by Dunant but unfortunately her slight lisp is distracting.
October 18, 2025
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.
October 28, 2026
I enjoyed this historical fiction/biography a great deal. Sarah Dunant is a very creative and imaginative writer and both she and Isabelle d'este appear in this book. Sarah has a great sense of humour to include her own activities of writing within the fiction.
August 21, 2025
Exceptionally well researched and a fascinating story too.
February 10, 2026
to be updated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews