Clarice Orsini

Clarice Orsini By S. Botticelli


Clarice Orsini of Rome married Lorenzo the Magnificent Medici in 1469. Her marriage was not one of love. It's more about the social and political ambition of the Medici family. She's the mother of ill-fated heir Lorenzo Medici who was exiled by Savonarola's goverment. She's also the mother of Pope Leo X.

I liked the Botticelli painting of Clarice Orsini Medici. It's a reflection of the times when Florentine women had few rights and were subject of various sumptuary laws which curbed extravagance in clothing and accesories(jewelry included). The above painting shows her dress in sombre colors and almost no jewelry except a plain necklace and a wedding ring.