The making of the Montefeltro: Patronage of the arts and architecture during the reign of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza

"The Making of the Montefeltro" explores the way in which Federico da Montefeltro (1422--1482) and his second wife, Battista Sforza (1446--1472) adopted a program of patronage for all the arts and architecture to convey the magnificence of their court and celebrate the nature of their reign. The scope of my project requires that the court be studied as a whole; thus the dissertation combines a consideration of urban, architectural, and regional design (part I), with an examination of painting and sculpture, marquetry, furniture design, and even costume (part II), all of which, in the Renaissance, were central to rituals of life at the court and contributed to the notion of its magnificence.;Federico, a highly paid mercenary, was often on campaign and thus away from the Montefeltro region and the palaces in Urbino and Gubbio that housed the court. During such absences, Battista ruled in his stead and this, together with the social legitimacy Battista brought to the marriage and her level of education, provided her with unusual power and influence for a woman in the Renaissance. While Battista focused on fashioning a framework of magnificence at the court, Federico designed a military perimeter---created from a network of rocche and castelli---that protected the region from their enemies.;Part I explores the architectural framework of the court by first summarizing the history of the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino and then considers those courts throughout Italy---including those in Ferrara, Mantua, Milan, Naples, Rome, and Pienza---that influenced the design of the Montefeltro. Chapter 4 uses itineraries likely taken by the court to introduce particular settlements---including Gubbio, Fossombrone, San Leo, Pietrarubbia, Sassocorvaro, and Urbania and others---and the role they played in the defense of the Montefeltro.;Part II looks more closely at the life of Battista Sforza, the role she played at the Montefeltro court and examines the arts and daily rituals at the court that, together with the architecture, conveyed the magnificence of the court, celebrated dynastic continuity, and commemorated the religious devotion and intelligence of the pair.