Eleanor of Naples, Duchess of Ferrara

Eleanor of Naples
Duchess of Ferrara, of Modena and Reggio
Portrait of Eleonora d'Aragona, from a manuscript "Il modo di regere e di regnare" by Antonio Cornazzano.
Born	22 June 1450 Naples
Died	11 October 1493 Ferrara
Spouse	Sforza Maria Sforza, Duke of Bari Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara
House	Trastámara
Father	Ferdinand I of Naples
Mother	Isabella of Clermont

Eleanor of Naples (Leonora or Eleonora of Aragon): (1450 –1493) was duchess consort of Ferrara by marriage to Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. She was the first duchess of Ferrara, and mother of many famous Renaissance figures. She was a well known political figure, and served as regent of Ferrara during the absence of her spouse.

Born to King Ferdinand I of Naples and Isabella of Clermont. Born into wealth, she was the first daughter, and second child, born into her family of six brothers and sisters. Not much is known of her childhood or early life growing up as the first princess of Naples, but she was thought to be the first consort of Sforza Maria Sforza, duke of Bari.

Eleanor would go on to marry Ercole d’Este (26 October 1431 – 15 June 1505) in July of 1473, her supposed second husband. It is claimed that this marriage was met with much celebration. Ercole was said to be, “…an unscrupulous and devious ruler.” He came to be Duke of Ferrara in 1471, taking the title upon the death of his half-brother, Borso, and would rule until his death in 1503.

When she was passed through Rome in June of 1473, on her way to marry Ercole d’Este, duke of Ferrara, she was received grandly (she would go on to marry him a month later). Two nephews of Rodrigo Borgia, who was a cardinals at the time, were there to greet her. They wanted to make a good and lasting impression on the Neapolitan Princess. She wrote to her father that she was given a lavish apartment, stating that even her chamber pot was made of gilded silver. In her correspondence with her father, she spoke of the banquet thrown for her, which lasted six hours, and it was an endless succession of food, accompanied by music, dancing and poetry. “The treasures of the Church, is being put to such uses,” she wrote in astonishment in her letter. This has been suspected to be a political power play by the Borgias, in attempt of gaining favor with royalty and gaining more political power.

Despite her husband’s ill temper, Eleanor was said to have been an active and dedicated spouse. She ruled in her husband’s stead when he was absent. He was absent in 1482-1484, when he fought a war with the Republic of Venice. Due to growing up in the Argon court of Naples, she brought with her lots of political knowledge and advice, and was said to show an extreme amount of common sense.