Murder of a Medici Princess
by Caroline P. Murphy
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Book Summary Information
Author: Caroline P. MurphyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-05-18
ISBN: 0195385837
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Murder of a Medici Princess
Book Review: Justice has been done for a Medici Princess
Summary: 5 Stars
For those who don't already know, the Medici were an Italian family who ruled Florence for the better part of three and a half centuries (with some interruptions) as well as producing two popes. Their name also has become somewhat synonymous with intrigue, sinister plots and murder. This book documents a period in time in their history where they descended from relative greatness (if you ignore the two popes) to gradual decline, chaos and madness.
The book, overall is extremely well written, follows a fascinating story of a great point in history. Folks who have actually been to Florence (a beautiful city by the way) will particularly reading some of the history of the city and buildings there.
If there is a weakness, and I'm not sure if it's the right word, as other reviewers have mentioned, the lesser characterscan be a bit hard to keep track of. You may find yourself asking "Now, who is that again?", when they don't pop up too often, although the author does try to remind the reader. This is probably true in particular for folks (like me) who are not accostomed to Italian names.
All in all, a great read and highly recommended for those who enjoy reading history.
As a note, one of the other posters dinged this book because they didn't realize that it wasn't fiction....that "ding" belongs to the reader, not the book...books do have back covers that explain their content.
Summary of Murder of a Medici Princess
In Murder of a Medici Princess, Caroline Murphy illuminates the brilliant life and tragic death of Isabella de Medici, one of the brightest stars in the dazzling world of Renaissance Italy, the daughter of Duke Cosimo I, ruler of Florence and Tuscany.Murphy is a superb storyteller, and her fast-paced narrative captures the intrigue, the scandal, the romantic affairs, and the violence that were commonplace in the Florentine court. She brings to life an extraordinary woman, fluent in five languages, a free-spirited patron of the arts, a daredevil, a practical joker, and a passionate lover. Isabella, in fact, conducted numerous affairs, including a ten-year relationship with the cousin of her violent and possessive husband. Her permissive lifestyle, however, came to an end upon the death of her father, who was succeeded by her disapproving older brother Francesco. Considering Isabella's ways to be licentious and a disgrace upon the family, he permitted her increasingly enraged husband to murder her in a remote Medici villa. To tell this dramatic story, Murphy draws on a vast trove of newly discovered and unpublished documents, ranging from Isabella's own letters, to the loose-tongued dispatches of ambassadors to Florence, to contemporary descriptions of the opulent parties and balls, salons and hunts in which Isabella and her associates participated. Murphy resurrects the exciting atmosphere of Renaissance Florence, weaving Isabella's beloved city into her story, evoking the intellectual and artistic community that thrived during her time. Palaces and gardens in the city become places of creativity and intrigue, sites of seduction, and grounds for betrayal.
Here then is a narrative of compelling and epic proportions, magnificent and alluring, decadent and ultimately tragic.
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