The Castle of Bracciano: Restoring the Honor of Isabella de' Medici and Paolo Giordano Orsini

The Castle of Bracciano is one of the biggest private manors in Italy. Built in the 1470s under Napoleone Orsini and his son Gentil Virginio, it was restored in mid-16th century when Paolo Giordano Orsini married the daughter of Cosimo de Medici, Isabella. Although Isabella was never allowed to live for long periods in Rome or Bracciano, her husband commissioned Giacomo del Duca and Annni di Baccio Bigio to restore the edifice and the Zuccari brothers to embellish their private apartment. Isabella died of natural disease in 1576 near Florence but rumors veiled the truth and soon Paolo Giordano was accused of having murdered her. This lecture will shed light on their newly rediscovered letters and try to investigate the truth about the most discussed couple in Renaissance Italy.