Architectural Patronage, Interior Design and Decoration

Women of means, such as Vittoria della Rovere, used architecture and palace building not only to express their identity but also as a form of public statecraft. This study examines her architectural patronage, interior design, and decoration projects across Tuscany, particularly at the Pitti Palace and her own Villa del Poggio Imperiale, which she purchased in 1659. Through detailed analysis of building works, renovations, and decorative elements, it reveals how Vittoria leveraged these residences to leave a lasting cultural mark and assert her influence, challenging traditional notions of patronage and gendered power dynamics.

Modesti, A. (2019). Architectural Patronage, Interior Design and Decoration. Women’s Patronage and Gendered Cultural Networks in Early Modern Europe, 187–204. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315200125-9