Lucrezia Barberini

Lucrezia Barberini (24 October 1628 – 24 August 1699) was an Italian noblewoman and, by marriage, Duchess of Modena. Born into the House of Barberini, she was the third wife of Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena.

Biography

Early life Barberini was born 24 October 1628 in Rome; She was baptized on the 8 November She showed great care for her children, even sleeping by their beds in a makeshift cot when they were ill. who were Carmelite nuns at the monastery Incarnazione del Verbo Divino, founded by Urban VIII. Lucrezia's education and that of her brothers Maffeo and Carlo were ordered by their uncle, Cardinal Francesco, who ignored the wishes of their mother. in the 1644 election of the new pope rather than of the French candidates Cardinal Bentivoglio and Cardinal Sacchetti favored by France and Cardinal Mazarin.

Mazarin not only considered the Barberini family his allies but also had personal ties to the family as Barberini's maternal grand-mother, Lucrezia Tomacelli had once housed Mazarin´s maternal grand-mother Francesca Turina Bufalini. Mazarins own father Pietro Mazarinno had also been employed by Lucrezias grand-father, Filippo Colonna as a chamberlain.

Expecting the new pope to be grateful towards the Barberini, instead Phamphili (now Innocent XI) turned against the Barberini began an investigation into the financing of the Wars of Castro in which the Barberini had been heavily involved. Innocent XI investigation estimated that the first war had cost the papacy 12 million scudi and special taxes were levied against the residents of Rome to refill church coffers which led to public anger towards the Barberini family.

Exile in France Lucrezia´s uncles Antonio and Francesco who had led the papal armies, fearful of their safety were forced to abandon Rome and flee to France, assisted by Cardinal Mazarin. There they depended on the hospitality of Louis XIV, King of France. Soon Lucrezia and her father and siblings followed, escaping at night with their father and with Lucrezia disguised as a boy. to join her husband and children in France. Lucrezias mother was upon her arrival dismayed to finding her daughter living in the Benedictine Val-de-Grâce convent in Paris. a legitimized grandson of Henry IV. Beauforts brother was on the verge of becoming betrothed to Laura Mancini, the eldest niece of the Barberini's protector Cardinal Mazarin. Beaufort, unlike his father and brother was opposed to Mazarin. Its likely that Mazarin hoped that marrying Beaufort to a daughter of one of Mazarins allies, Beaufort might overcome his enmity towards the cardinal.

Lucrezia on the other hand being very religious, expressed her desire to take holy orders, but this was dismissed by her uncles. They were in fact planning to find a husband for their niece that would be beneficial for the Barberini family.

However Lucrezia was taken from the convent by her chaperone, Clarice Vaini Rasponi and brought back to Italy.

Lucrezia and her brother Carlo would return to France in 1652 to live with their uncle, Antonio. While living there Lucrezia donated some relics to the Carmelite monastery in Lyon.

In 1653, Lucrezia's brother was married to Pope Innocent's grand-niece, Olimpia Giustiniani. The marriage resolved many problems at once, reconciling the Barberini and Pamphili families; allowing the remaining Barberini exiles to return to Rome.

Marriage

On 13 April 1654 Lucrezia and Francesco I d'Este were married by proxy in Loreto, Marche at the Basilica della Santa Casa.

Lucrezia was met by her husband's brother, the Cardinal Rinaldo d'Este, at the border of Modena, and presented with valuable jewelry, a gift from the Duke of Modena.

14 October 1654 Lucrezia was married to the twice widowed Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena in person. In many ways the marriage represented a long-overdue truce between the House of Este and the House of Barberini who had taken sides against each other during the First War of Castro. Francesco had, in fact, fought alongside his father against Taddeo Barberini's troops.

The marriage celebrations lasted for several days, culminating in a tournament and fireworks in the Piazza Grande of Modena where she took the name Felice Maddalena del Crucifisso Gesu who supplied dowries for Jewish young women who converted to Christianity.

Though a member of the convent Lucrezia was however, allowed to leave the convent and go outside, and sometimes she also brought ladies into convent, even though "during the last years she refrained from bringing them here so that the nuns would not have any distraction or disturbances, which on these occasions the secular women usually bring to the well-regulated monasteries"

Lucrezia also maintained a friendship with Laura Martinozzi, the wife of her step-son Alfonso IV d'Este.

Death Lucrezia died on 24 August 1699, while staying at convent San Maria Maddalena Pazzi in Modena, where she was also buried.