The Artistic Patronage of Vannozza dei Cattanei and Giulia Farnese: Two Mistresses at the Borgia Papal Court

An investigation into the lives and patronage of two of Rome’s most intriguing mistresses, Vannozza dei Cattanei and Giulia “La Bella” Farnese reveals much about the world of concubines in the late fifteenth century. Both were mistresses of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, later Pope Alexander VI. Both accumulated great wealth through this relationship and commissioned artworks. This study will focus on the patronage of these two women, greatly expanding the view of the wealth and power in the hands of visible mistresses connected to the papal court in early modern times.