Vittoria della Rovere as a Collector
Vittoria della Rovere inherited the important della Rovere collection of paintings at a very early age, and it was included as a part of her dowry when she married Ferdinando II de’Medici in 1633. Keeping track of Vittoria’s forebearers can be complicated, but it is worth the trouble. (See Vittoria’s Family Tree.)
Vittoria’s father was Federico Ubaldo della Rovere, Duke of Urbino. Federico Ubaldo was born in May of 1605, the son of Francesco Maria II, Duke of Urbino and his second wife, Livia della Rovere. Francesco Maria II’s first wife, Lucrezia d’Este, died without issue in 1598. Anxious to produce a male heir, Francesco Maria II married his cousin, Livia della Rovere, 31 years his junior, and they finally produced a son, Federico Ubaldo, six years later. On 14 May 1621, Francesco Maria renounced his title in favor of his son, Federico Ubaldo, who became Duke of Urbino. Federico Ubaldo, at the age of sixteen, married Claudia de’Medici, daughter of Ferdinando I. Their only child, Vittoria della Rovere, was born in February of 1622. Federico Ubaldo then died at the age of 18, only a year after Vittoria’s birth. At Federico Ubaldo’s untimely death, his father was forced to reclaim the title of Duke of Urbino, which he eventually ceded to Pope Urban VIII and the title passed to the church and became extinct.
Francesco Maria II was the son of Guidobaldo II, Duke of Urbino and Vittoria Farnese. Guidobaldo is credited with being a friend of Titian from whom he is said to have purchased the Venus of Urbino. He is also responsible for gathering together many of the other important pictures that made up the della Rovere collection. Guidobaldo was in turn the son of Francesco Maria I, Duke of Urbino, and grand-son of Federico III da Montefeltro on his mother’s side, while he was a nephew of Giuliano della Rovere, Pope Julius II, on his father’s side.
At the time of her birth Vittoria was the only heir to the entire bloodline. At her death, the Duchies of Rovere and Montefeltro, which had belonged to her, reverted to her second son, Francesco Maria de’Medici, who died without heirs in 1711. All the della Rovere titles lapsed with the death of the last Medici, Gian Gastone.
For much of her life, Vittoria had kept her collection of paintings with her at the Villa del Poggio Imperiale. They were eventually united with much of the rest of the Medici collections at the Pitti by her son, Cosimo III. (See also: "Cosimo III and the Reunion of the Family Collections").
Vittoria’s father was Federico Ubaldo della Rovere, Duke of Urbino. Federico Ubaldo was born in May of 1605, the son of Francesco Maria II, Duke of Urbino and his second wife, Livia della Rovere. Francesco Maria II’s first wife, Lucrezia d’Este, died without issue in 1598. Anxious to produce a male heir, Francesco Maria II married his cousin, Livia della Rovere, 31 years his junior, and they finally produced a son, Federico Ubaldo, six years later. On 14 May 1621, Francesco Maria renounced his title in favor of his son, Federico Ubaldo, who became Duke of Urbino. Federico Ubaldo, at the age of sixteen, married Claudia de’Medici, daughter of Ferdinando I. Their only child, Vittoria della Rovere, was born in February of 1622. Federico Ubaldo then died at the age of 18, only a year after Vittoria’s birth. At Federico Ubaldo’s untimely death, his father was forced to reclaim the title of Duke of Urbino, which he eventually ceded to Pope Urban VIII and the title passed to the church and became extinct.
Francesco Maria II was the son of Guidobaldo II, Duke of Urbino and Vittoria Farnese. Guidobaldo is credited with being a friend of Titian from whom he is said to have purchased the Venus of Urbino. He is also responsible for gathering together many of the other important pictures that made up the della Rovere collection. Guidobaldo was in turn the son of Francesco Maria I, Duke of Urbino, and grand-son of Federico III da Montefeltro on his mother’s side, while he was a nephew of Giuliano della Rovere, Pope Julius II, on his father’s side.
At the time of her birth Vittoria was the only heir to the entire bloodline. At her death, the Duchies of Rovere and Montefeltro, which had belonged to her, reverted to her second son, Francesco Maria de’Medici, who died without heirs in 1711. All the della Rovere titles lapsed with the death of the last Medici, Gian Gastone.
For much of her life, Vittoria had kept her collection of paintings with her at the Villa del Poggio Imperiale. They were eventually united with much of the rest of the Medici collections at the Pitti by her son, Cosimo III. (See also: "Cosimo III and the Reunion of the Family Collections").
Highlights from the collection
Titian, Venus, Pitti
This painting of the "Nude woman" is mentioned in two letters from Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, of 9 March and 1 May 1538. It left Titian's studio in the summer of the same year, bound for Urbino, where Visari saw it in 1548. The painting came to Pitti in 1631 with Vittoria della rovere's inheritance. (Gregori, op. cit., p. 267.)
Palma Vecchio, Judith and the Head of Holofernes, Pitti
This painting was left to the galery in 1631 as part of Vittoria della Rovere's legacy. (Gregori, op. cit., p. 255.)
Titian, La Bella, Pitti
This painting has been identified as the "portrait of a woman in a blue dress" that Duke Francesco Maria della Rovere repeatedly asked Titian about in two letters dated 2 May and 10 July 1536, and which were delivered by his agent, Gian Giacomo Leonardi. It entered the gallery in 1631 as part of Vittoria della Rovere's inheritance. (Gregori, op. cit., p. 265.)
Titian, Mary Magdalen, Pitti
This picture came to the gallery in 1631 as part of Vittoria della Rovere's inheritacnce. It dates from around 1533-1535.(Gregori, op. cit., p. 262.)
Titian, Francesco Maria della Rovere, PittiThis portrait of Francesco maria della Rovere was said to be nearly finished in a letter of 1536 from the duke. It arrived in Pesaro on 14 April 1538 and came to the gallery with the legacy of Vittoria della rovere. (Gregori, op. cit., p. 268.)
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Titian, Eleonora Gonzaga della Rovere, Pitti
A letter of 1537 from Pietro Aretino to Veronica Gambata announced that the portrait of Eleonora, along with that of Francesco Maria della Rovere, was almost done. Both pictures reached Pesaro on 14 April 1538 and entered the Florentine gallery in 1631 as part of Vittoria della Rovere's inheritance. Eleonora's portrait was probably begun during her journey to Venice in 1536-1537.
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Sebastiano del Piombo, The Martyrdom of St. Agata, Pitti
[Vasari admired this painting greatly when he recorded it in the Guardaroba in Urbino. It came to the Florentine gallery in 1631 with Vittoria della Rovere's inheritance. There is a beautiful preparatory drawing for it in the Cabinet des Dessins in the Louvre.]. (Gregori, op. cit., p. 257.)
See also:
Ricardo Spinelli, Baldassarre Franceschini, detto il Volterrano, e Carlo Dolci nelle collezioni di Vittoria della Rovere e di Francesco Maria de' Medici: nuovi documenti, precisazioni, identificazioni
Ricardo Spinelli, Baldassarre Franceschini, detto il Volterrano, e Carlo Dolci nelle collezioni di Vittoria della Rovere e di Francesco Maria de' Medici: nuovi documenti, precisazioni, identificazioni