Vittoria Accoramboni

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Vittoria Accoramboni, portrait of Scipione Pulzone

Vittoria Accoramboni (* 15. February 1557 in Gubbio , Papal States ; † 22. December 1585 in Padua , Republic of Venice ) was an Italian nobleman . Her life story aroused a lot of contemporary interest and later formed a. a. the template for the play The White Devil by John Webster and for the novel Vittoria Accorombona by Ludwig Tieck .

Life

Vittoria was the tenth child in a wealthy but unknown family who hoped to improve their position by marrying Vittoria, known for her beauty and intelligence, to an influential man. In 1573 she was married to Francesco Peretti , a nephew of Cardinal di Montalto , who was considered a possible candidate for the Pope . With the help of Peretti, Vittoria's brother Marcello was appointed chamberlain to Paolo Giordano I Orsini , the powerful Duke of Bracciano , who is known to have murdered his wife Isabella de 'Medici for her infidelity. Marcello hoped to interest the Duke in his sister and when it was found that Bracciano was in love with her, Marcello - possibly alone or with the help of the Duke - had Francesco Peretti murdered in 1581.

Vittoria married Bracciano in a private ceremony soon after. Because of their resistance to Pope Gregory XIII. she was detained for a while but had to be released due to public pressure. She and Bracciano were remarried and lived in Rome until 1585 , where Cardinal di Montalto was elected Pope Sixtus V. Fearing that the Pope would take revenge for his nephew's death, they fled to Salò in the Republic of Venice , where Bracciano died in November.

Vittoria soon went to her parents' house in Padua , where she was received by Ludovico Orsini , a relative of Bracciano, who had been sent on behalf of the Orsini family, and in particular of the Duke's son, to clarify some questions about the will . It is believed that he had an intense personal hatred of her, but it is likely that some dispute over the will caused him to decide to have her murdered. A few nights later, a group of men hired by Ludovico broke into her home and stabbed her to death. He and his accomplices were subsequently executed.

literature

  • Ernst Münch : Vittoria Accoramboni. In: Biographical-historical studies. Second volume, Hallberger, Stuttgart 1836, pp. 381-420.

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Vittoria Accoramboni. In: Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved October 2, 2019 .