Symbols of Wealth in Renaissance Italy

 Sage Warner

Two days ago, we traveled from Venice to Orvieto, stopping by Mantua and visiting the beautiful Duke's Palace. During our brief tour (apparently, there are actual labor laws for private bus drivers that limit how long they can drive in Italy. What a thought!), we saw the vast property and what remained of a once-massive collection of art belonging to the Gonzaga family. The Gonzagas collected and commissioned artwork from throughout Italy, owning art from Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Rubens, and Raphael. Some of the few works not sold off to pay for the debts of the family were frescoes commissioned specifically for the family. While these people were obviously very into art, the purpose of owning these works was more to show off their extensive wealth to other illustrious families, as they demonstrated they could afford the works of these masters. 

(A picture of a labyrinth painted on the ceiling in the Duke’s Palace)

In "The Stablemaster," a play by Pietro Aretino, tells the story of a man who is told he needs to marry a woman because the Duke orders it. The titular stablemaster is outraged over this intervention in his life, as he is implied to be gay and is very against the idea of marrying a woman, yet everyone around him tells him he has to do it. They all espouse the virtues of marriage, but the root of the reason the stablemaster finally attends his wedding is because of the overwhelming power of the duke and the fact he cannot ultimately say no to this order. The duke is a faceless figure throughout the play, yet he lords over the personal lives of his employees, throwing around his power and his wealth. This same demonstration of power is clear in the splendor of the palace.

This is not unique to Mantua, with the Doge’s Palace in Venice serving a similar purpose. It was a big gorgeous building, with a lot of gold gilding and inside it was full of artwork. Though I am not aware of any plays about the Venetian dukes, it is clear that Medieval and Renaissance-era Italy maintained a pattern of demonstrating their power through their collection of art. Even the play we read, itself, acts as an indicator of this, as Aretino was sponsored by the duke to work for him as a writer and satirist. Artists throughout Italy were paid to provide works for the wealthy, living within their court to show how sophisticated and rich these dukes were. Overall, the connection between the Renaissance, which most view as the golden age of art, especially in Italy, and the dukes throwing around their power, is really interesting. I am excited to see even more art and see if this continues to be a connection!