Background

Isabelle d' Este was born on May 18, 1474 in Ferrara, Italy. She was the oldest of six and was born into a ruling family. She was raised in a household where culture, politics, and arts were heavily influenced which would help her in her future endeavors. Talented in singing , dancing, and playing the lute. She could also translate and speak both Latin and Greek at 16. Due to her parents believing in equal education, she received the education of a man at her time. She came to power because of her husband, Francesco II, being captured by Venetian troops.

Legacy/Achievments

• Known as the "First Lady of the Renaissance".
• Related to nearly all of Italy's rulers either by marriage or birth.
• Founded a school for young women to receive the same education as young men.
• Influenced artistic fashion for women in Europe.
• Ended the famine of Mantua in 1527.
• Suspected to be a candidate for the painting 'Mona Lisa'.

Social/Cultural Legacy

• Style mimicked by European women.
• Made Mantua a center for culture.
• Opened a school for girls to be educated equally.
• Opened museums to display her finest antique arts.
• Supporter painters such as Da Vinci, Titian, and Mategna.
• Invented knickers.
• Wrote letters that showed the Renaissance in the perspective of a woman; 12,000 which are archived in Mantua today. (Archived at the Archivio di Stato di Mantova, Mantova, Italy.)

Political/ Economic Legacy

• Successfully gained control of the military due to the loyalty of her people.
• Took on a non-confrontational approach to foreign policy.
• Defended Mantua against French attacks in 1527.
• Promoted Mantua to a Duchy, which was obtained by the wise diplomatic use of her son's marriage contracts.