David Rizzio
David Rizzio , also David Riccio (* around 1533 in Pancalieri , Piedmont; † March 9, 1566 in Edinburgh , Scotland ), was an Italian lute player and composer as well as private secretary and favorite of Maria Stuart . His assassination in 1566 started the chain of tragic events that led to Mary's abdication and her flight to England, where she was imprisoned and beheaded in 1587.
history
David Rizzio came to Scotland with the Ambassador of Savoy in 1561 . There he entered the service of Maria Stuart. In 1564 he became their secretary for French affairs. The trust Mary Stuart placed in him generated jealousy and hatred on the part of many nobles. This was reinforced by Rizzio's Catholic faith, which the predominantly Protestant lords were opposed to. They convinced Lord Darnley , Maria's husband, that Rizzio was Maria's lover.
On March 9, 1566, a group of nobles led by Lord Darnley and the wire-puller Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven, penetrated the castle of Holyrood , into the apartments of Maria Stuart and killed Rizzio in front of the queen. However, this was not, as later rumored, pulled out of the bed of the queen, who was five months pregnant, but was sitting with her and her ladies-in-waiting at the dining table when Darnley came up a narrow spiral staircase from his apartment, accused his wife of adultery and the transfer Rizzios demanded what she refused. Darnley's accomplices stepped in, Rizzio knelt beside the queen, begging for mercy, and clutching her robe. However, he was dragged into the neighboring audience room and killed there with 57 knife wounds. His alleged blood stain is still shown there today.
There is no evidence to support the claim that Rizzio was Maria Stuart's lover. What is certain, however, is that his assassination was part of a larger campaign by the Scottish nobility against the Queen, who feared that Mary Stuart, with the help of her mother's French family (the Dukes of Guise ), would restore Scotland to the Catholic faith. Her marriage to her Catholic cousin Darnley had previously been received with skepticism - a year later, Darnley was the next murder victim (with the knowledge of his wife).
The composer Luigi Canepa dedicated the opera Davide Rizio to him , Jules Massenet the cantata David Rizzio .
literature
- Thomas Finlayson Henderson: Riccio, David . In: Sidney Lee (Ed.): Dictionary of National Biography . Volume 48: Reilly - Robins. MacMillan & Co, Smith, Elder & Co., New York City / London 1896, pp 98 - 100 (English).
- David Tweedie: David Rizzio & Mary Queen of Scots. Murder at Holyrood . The History Press, 2011, ISBN 9780752470818 .
Web links
- Kenneth Elliott: Rizzio, David. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- Rízzio, Davide. In: Enciclopedie on line. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Overview of David Rizzio
- ↑ Jules Massenet's curriculum vitae at Klassika.info
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rizzio, David |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Riccio, David; Rizzio, Davide |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian musician; Private secretary and favorite of Maria Stuart |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1533 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pancalieri , Piedmont |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 9, 1566 |
| Place of death | Edinburgh , Scotland |