Eleonora d'Aragona (1450-1493)

Eleanor of Naples
Duchess of Ferrara, of Modena and Reggio
Portrait of Eleonora d'Aragona, from a manuscript "Il modo di regere e di regnare" by Antonio Cornazzano.
Born	22 June 1450 Naples
Died	11 October 1493 Ferrara
Spouse	Sforza Maria Sforza, Duke of Bari Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara
House	Trastámara
Father	Ferdinand I of Naples
Mother	Isabella of Clermont

Eleanor of Naples (Leonora or Eleonora of Aragon): (1450 –1493) she was to become the first duchess of Ferrara, and was herself, and also the mother to many extremely influential children, most notably her daughters, during the Renaissance. She would gain merit as being an influential political figure, while governing Ferrara as Duchess.

Born to King Ferdinand I of Naples and Isabella of Clermont. Born into wealth, she was the first daughter, and second child, born into her family of six brothers and sisters. Not much is known of her childhood or early life growing up as the first princess of Naples, but she was thought to be the first consort of Sforza Maria Sforza, duke of Bari. When she was passed through Rome in June of 1473, on her way to marry Ercole d’Este, duke of Ferrara, she was received grandly (she would go on to marry him a month later). Two nephews of Rodrigo Borgia, who was a cardinals at the time, were there to greet her. They wanted to make a good and lasting impression on the Neapolitan Princess. She wrote to her father that she was given a lavish apartment, stating that even her chamber pot was made of gilded silver. In her correspondence with her father, she spoke of the banquet thrown for her, which lasted six hours, and it was an endless succession of food, accompanied by music, dancing and poetry. “The treasures of the Church, is being put to such uses,” she wrote in astonishment in her letter. This has been suspected to be a political power play by the Borgias, in attempt of gaining favor with royalty and gaining more political power.

Ercole d’Este (26 October 1431 – 15 June 1505). Eleanor would go on to marry Ercole d’Este in July of 1473, her supposed second husband. It is claimed that this marriage was met with much celebration. Ercole was said to be, “…an unscrupulous and devious ruler.” He came to be Duke of Ferrara in 1471, taking the title upon the death of his half-brother, Borso, and would rule until his death in 1503.

Ercole I d'Este and Duchess Eleanor had six children:

Despite her husband’s ill temper, Eleanor was said to have been an active and dedicated spouse. She ruled in her husband’s stead when he was absent. Due to growing up in the Argon court of Naples, she brought with her lots of political knowledge and advice, and was said to show an extreme amount of common sense. With her entrance as a political figure, governing in her husband’s place, she was a great influence to many. She was the inspiration for works such as Antonio Cornazzano’s Del modo di regere et di regnare, in which he dedicated to her. This is not the only book that Eleanor had dedicated to her. She also had in her possession, Da Ladibus Mulierum (In Praise of Women) by Bartolomeo Gogio. Having all these works dedicated to her, could heavily suggest that she was a patron, someone with a lot of money and high status who will commission an artist or writer for a work. Most times these works were an attempt to gain more political favor.