- Cecilia Gallerani
Cecilia Gallerani (1473 – 1536) was one of the mistresses of
Ludovico Sforza ,Duke of Milan . She was the subject ofLeonardo da Vinci 's painting "The Lady with an Ermine " (c. 1489). While posing for the painting she invited Leonardo, who at the time was working as court artist for Sforza, to meetings at whichMilan ese intellectuals discussedphilosophy and other subjects. Cecilia herself presided over these discussions.Biography
Cecilia was born into a large family from
Siena . Her father, Fazio, was not of the nobility, but he occupied several posts at the Milanese court, including the position of ambassador toFlorence . She was educated alongside her brothers in Latin and literature. In 1483 at the age of ten, Cecilia was bethrothed toStefano Visconti but it was broken off in 1487 for reasons unknown. In May 1489, she left home for the Monastero Nuovo, and it was possibly there that she met Ludovico.Cecilia spoke
Latin fluently and was said to be a gifted musician and singer. She also wrote poetry. Even after Ludovico marriedBeatrice d'Este , Cecilia continued to keep her apartments in Ludovico's castle. Cecilia had a son, Cesare, on3 May 1491 by Ludovico il Moro.When Beatrice d'Este found out about her, Ludovico had to ask her to leave the Porta Giovia castle, the seat of the Ducal court. She was given the Carmagnola Palace in 1492, when she married Ludovico di Brambilla, Count Bergamino. She bore her husband four children. After the death of both her husband and her son (1514-1515), she retired to San Giovanni in Croce, a castle near
Cremona .Bandello describes her as a patron of the arts. According to others, hers was the first salon in Europe.References
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#Art Galleries Website.Cecilia Gallerani
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