Isabella d’Este became Marchioness of Mantua in 1490 and was a major Renaissance patron of the arts.
She married Francesco II Gonzaga, ruler of Mantua, and used her court, correspondence, and collections to support painters, sculptors, musicians, writers, and humanist scholars. Her studiolo, or private study, was decorated with works commissioned from artists including Andrea Mantegna, Pietro Perugino, Lorenzo Costa, and Correggio.
Isabella is sometimes confused with her sister Beatrice d’Este, who became Duchess of Milan through her marriage to Ludovico Sforza. Isabella’s political role also extended beyond cultural patronage: she governed Mantua as regent during her husband’s military campaigns and later helped secure the succession of her son Federico II Gonzaga. Her letters provide unusually rich evidence about artistic commissions and court life in Renaissance Italy.