Isabella D'Este - Early Life

Early Life

Isabella D'Este grew up in a cultured family in the city-state of Mantua. She received a fine classical education and, as a girl, met many famous humanist scholars and artists. Due to the vast amount of extant correspondence between Isabella and her family and friends, her life is unusually well-documented. She was born on Tuesday 19 May 1474 at nine o'clock in the evening in Ferrara, to Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and Leonora of Naples. Leonora was the daughter of Ferdinand I, the Aragonese King of Naples, and Isabella of Taranto.

One year later on 29 June 1475 her sister Beatrice d'Este was born, and in 1476 and 1477 two brothers, Alfonso and Ippolito arrived. In 1479 and 1480 two more brothers were born; they were Ferrante and Sigismondo. Of all the children Isabella was considered to have been the favourite.

In 1479, the year of Ferrante's birth, Isabella travelled to Naples with her mother. When her mother returned to Ferrara, Isabella accompanied her, while the other children stayed behind with their grandfather for eight years. It was during the journey with her mother, that Isabella acquired the art of diplomacy and statecraft.