Tales from the Crypt: Tracing the Origins of the Myth Surrounding Eleonora of Toledo’s Burial Dress

The body of Eleonora of Toledo, Duchess of Florence, was exhumed in 1857. Over a century later, after extensive restoration work, her burial dress was first displayed to the public. Prior to its restoration, a widespread myth emerged claiming the burial gown was the same dress as the one the Duchess is depicted wearing in Bronzino’s 1545 state portrait, which hangs on the walls of the Uffizi Gallery. Although this misconception has long been dispelled — the two dresses are not similar — this story is nevertheless often repeated and has continued to influence the ongoing scholarship surrounding both dresses. This article traces the origins of this misidentification, arguing that it stemmed from a frequently cited secondary source. Based on this, it also examines how research practices, assumptions and referencing methods contributed to the myth’s endurance. In turn, the existence of this myth is shown to demonstrate the ongoing importance of dress history in cross-disciplinary research.