Art sleuth uncovers clue to secret Raphael marriage

[emad]

Barbara McMahon in Rome
Saturday June 18, 2005
The Guardian

The small pearl brooch in Raphael's masterpiece, La Fornarina, was the clue, and researchers believe that it has unlocked one of the mysteries of the Renaissance.

For centuries it has been thought that the woman, Margherita Luti, a baker's daughter from Siena, was the artist's mistress.

He was, after all, engaged to the niece of a powerful Vatican cardinal.

However, a new study by an Italian art historian, Maurizio Bernardelli Curuz, suggests that Raphael and Luti had already married in a clandestine ceremony, and that - fearful of a scandal - the artist took the secret to his grave.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,12576,1509190,00.html

[fasttense]

1. Oh those wacky heterosexuals, having babies out of wedlock

buying mistresses, taking child brides. What a wonderful example for the gay community.

[acmavm]

2. Yeah, especially those whacky Christian heteros, like the Borgias.

Now there's an object lesson in duplicity, betrayal, and ruling with an iron hand. That is, until it all went to hell at Rodrigo's death.

Fascinating family. So are all the other powerful Italian families of that era.