Alfonsina Orsini

Alfonsina Orsini (1472 – 7 February 1520) was a Regent of Florence. She governed the Republic of Florence during the absences of her son in the period of 1515–1519. Her rule was feared as a sign of the end of republican government there. She was born from a noble family and raised in the royal court of Naples. She was the spouse of Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici from 1488 and the mother of Lorenzo II de' Medici. She helped restore the Medicis to power after they had been exiled. She worked to secure a French royal marriage for her son, and was also influential at the court of Pope Leo X, her brother-in-law. Throughout her life, she used her wealth, position, and connections to help the poor and underrepresented. She also used them to further her family's power and wealth. She was a patron of the arts and architecture, both in Florence and in Rome. This included renovation of religious buildings as well as construction of palaces for the family. Early life and family Born in 1472, she was the daughter of Caterina Sanseverino and Roberto Orsini, Count of Tagliacozzo and Alba. She was raised in the court of Ferdinand I of Naples. In 1486, Orsini's marriage to Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici was arranged by his uncle, Bernardo Rucellai who stood in as proxy. In February 1488, she brought a dowry of 12000 ducats when she joined her husband at a wedding in Rome attended by Ferdinand and his wife Joanna of Aragon. She finally arrived in Florence in May 1488. Like previous wives of the Medicis, she was frequently petitioned by the religious and the poor to aid their requests for aid from her husband, and later, her son. She was asked to help ease tax burdens, provide jobs, and release impounded property. Orsini, her mother, and Clarice Orsini (her mother-in-law and a distant cousin) supported a major renovation of the Santa Lucia convent in Florence. The renovation included expanding dormitories for the Dominican sisters, rebuilding the church, and adding other rooms and chapels. A few of the rooms were made available for women in the Medici family whenever they were needed.