The Cultural World of Eleonora di Toledo

Eleonora di Toledo was a powerful and influential woman who, over the course of nearly a quarter century (1539-62), contributed profoundly to the cultural flowering of ducal Florence. But in spite of all these contributions, Eleonora has attracted little attention from scholars. The examination of her impact on Tuscany provided in this volume is long overdue. This collection of essays provides a fuller, more nuanced understanding of the duchess, her impact on Tuscan culture in the sixteenth century, and the contribution of female consorts to the vitality of a successful early-modern state. The articles collected here expand our understanding of Eleonora's place in her society and shed a subtle, more profound light on a very complex, determined, and capable woman.