The marriage of CHRISTINE of LORRAINE and GRAND DUKE FERDINAND

We look at an Italian wedding spectaculars that took place centuries ago

THE RECENT NUPTIALS of celebrity couple Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayer must rank high on a list of this year’s spectacular weddings. The couple’s two-week celebration, held in England and India, and an exclusive photo-deal with a celebrity magazine, ensured extensive coverage of events. A publicity-managed occasion such as this one may seem to be a modern-day initiative but in 16th-century Italy one wedding required year-long preparations with a vast team of wedding planners, public relations staff and a master of ceremonies, to ensure that it was perfectly co-ordinated. The most lavish events were arranged to include triumphant entrances to cities; mock naval battles; a football match, jousts, animal baiting, banquets and musical entertainment or intermedi the forerunner of modern-day opera. To gain maximum publicity, experts were on hand to ensure local and global awareness of the union. In addition, details of the event were recorded for posterity in manuscripts and books, including Li sontuosissimi apparecchi, trionfi, e feste, fatti nelle nozze della gran duchessa di Fiorenza... (Venice, 1589)

In May 1589 in Florence, the wedding reception of Christine of Lorraine (1565-1637) to Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici (1549-1609) outshone all previous trysts. Prior to and following the blessing of the marriage in the Duomo, the month-long festivities from 30th April to 31st May were a supreme triumph of public relations and wedding planning, and a fairytale event after which the bride and groom lived happily ever after. But how was it achieved? Indirectly, the wedding involved the skills of local artisans and craftsmen from the workshops of Florence but directly, the origins of the marriage lay in the untimely death in 1587 of Grand Duke Francesco I de’Medici, eldest son of Cosimo de’ Medici. It led the way to Cosimo’s second son, Ferdinando, a Cardinal in Rome since the age of fifteen, foregoing a religious vocation to marry at the age of 40. His betrothal to 24-year-old Christine of Lorraine was arranged by her grandmother, the French Queen, Catherine de Médicis, wife of King Henri II of France. The union was created to enable a close liaison between Italy and France. Political unity may seem not to be the perfect start to a relationship between a middle-age man and a young woman, neither of whom had set eyes on each other, but royal marriages at this time had political motivations. Queen Catherine was a determined woman and France needed strong ties with Italy. The banks of Italy were supporting France and because they knew this, the Medici clan held out through lengthy discussions to succeed in getting a massive 600,000 scudi dowry for taking Christine as the new Duchess.

Above, centre: The Coat of Arms created in 1589 to commemorate the marriage of Grand Duke Ferdinand I de’ Medici to Christine of Lorraine.

Above: Ferdinando I de’ Medici, dated 1570.

Below: Detail from a painting of Christine that is belived to have been sent to Ferdinand to show what she looked like

POLITICAL UNITY MAY SEEM not TO BE THE PERFECT start to a relationship

A MARRIAGE BY PROXY

On the death of Grand Duke Francesco, the plans for Ferdinando’s wedding immediately began to take shape. The music for it was commissioned in May 1588, a year before the wedding reception took place. Ferdinando and Christine’s engagement became official in October 1588, without either present to celebrate, and it was lengthier than originally planned due to various family incidents, including the death of Queen Catherine in January 1589. By February 1589 a proxy marriage ceremony had taken place, to make it legally binding, still with neither groom nor bride present. They had yet to meet but Ferdinando had an idea of what Christine looked like as a portrait of her was sent to him for perusal. Christine’s journey to Italy began after the proxy documentation had been completed. She travelled in luxury aboard ship to Leghorn (Livorno), arriving in April 1589. Here she received a ceremonial welcome and also in Pisa, before travelling to one of the Medici country villas, the luxurious Poggio a Caiano, where she met Ferdinando for the first time.

One can only imagine how that must have felt for both bride and groom. A glorious entrance to the city of Florence on 29th April, through seven triumphal arches, created in local workshops for the occasion, marked the beginning of festivities, which were interspersed between religious services.

How would they entertain a diverse multitude of guests over a lengthy period? On hand to oversee everything was architect and master of ceremonies Bernardo Buontalenti. For the location of theatrical entertainment he redesigned the Teatro Medici in what had been the magistrature hall of the Uffizi. And for the first time intermedi (musical or theatrical interludes between acts of a play) were performed during Scipione Bargagli’s comedy La Pellegrina. The performance included actors, singers and stupendous stage sets, with revolving machinery off-stage to change scenery.

ITALIAN WEDDING PLANNERS NOW HAVE OVER 400 HUNDRED YEARS OF EXPERIENCE...

FOOTBALL AND FESTIVITIES IN FLORENCE

To continue the wedding merriment on 4th May, in Piazza Santa Croce, what is considered by many to be the first ever football match, giuòco di calcio was played by teams of aristocrats. The following day another fabulous theatrical performance, this time La Zingara, enraptured the invited guests. A few days later, animal baiting in Piazza Santa Croce was attended by residents and guests, whilst a performance of the comedy of La Pazzia completed Buontalenti’s theatrical entertainment schedule It is clear that Buontalenti had considered guests of all ages because his choice of entertainment appealed to a wide audience, something which has to be considered by wedding couples today, to entertain older and younger generations of family and friends. Buontalenti’s feste programme reached a highlight at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence on 11th May. The courtyard of the palace was flooded to create a lake for a naumachia, a mock naval battle with carts camouflaged as ships. The spectators were invited guests and resident Florentines who packed window seats and balconies to overlook the pageant.

After the festivities the Grand Duke and Duchess toured Tuscany and discovered their mutual interest in helping monastery and convent communities. The piety of Ferdinando and Christine established a strong bond between them and their union produced eight children: four boys and four girls. As one can see, from the successful marriage celebrations of this couple, it led to a happy partnership. Italian wedding planners now have over 400 hundred years of experience and the possibility of a fairytale wedding with a very happy ending is truly possible. For future brides and grooms considering the logistics of taking family and friends to Italy for a wedding ceremony, stay calm. You are in safe hands. It will be spectacular.

Piazza Santa Croce was the location for the football match and animal baiting.

INFORMATION

Books to read include the excellent The Medici Marriage of 1589: Florentine Festival as ‘Theatrum Mundi’ (Yale University Press, 1996) by James M. Saslow that records the marriage of Ferdinando and Christine and the innovative entertainment whereby actors and spectators played an equal part.

Also worth reading is The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici by Christopher Hibbert (Penguin Books, 1979) is a masterful account of the Medici family.

CD copies of La Pelligrina (along with samples) are available to buy on CD through the online shop at www.italymag.co.uk