The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

July 29, 2022

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

In the 16th century, at the age of 15, Lucrezia di Cosimo de Medici (yes, those Medici) of Florence married Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. Alfonso was about ten years older than Lucrezia. Less than a year later, Lucrezia was dead. Historians believe that she died of tuberculosis or some other lung ailment, but immediately after her death, rumors began to spread that the Duke had murdered her.

Maggie O'Farrell creates a fictional biography based on the limited information that is available about Lucrezia. It's an enjoyable read with a storyline that implicates the Duke but still gives Lucrezia a happy ending. But the question remains: why would the Duke want to kill his pretty young wife? Lucrezia had yet to produce an heir, but they had been married less than a year and Lucrezia was only 15. The Duke went on to marry two more times, but neither one of those marriages produced an heir either.  Was the Duke infertile or gay? He did have a very close relationship with Baldassare, his lifelong pal and consigliere.

I enjoy books about lesser known historical figures and events, and I love Maggie O'Farrell's books.

The only known portrait of Lucrezia di Cosimo de Medici.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.