Carolyn James is Cassamarca Associate Professor in the School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies at Monash University, Australia. She has edited the letters of the fifteenth century Bolognese literary figure, Giovanni Sabadino degli Arienti and analysed his literary works. With Antonio Pagliaro, she translated the late-medieval letters of Margherita Datini. She has written on women's political and diplomatic roles in Renaissance Italy, as well as early modern women's relationship with letter-writing. She is presently engaged on a project focused on the Italian Wars 1494-1559, with Professor Susan Broomhall and Dr Lisa Mansfield.

Carolyn James shows a deft and deeply knowledgeable reading of the letters and the ways in which Isabella and Francesco knew how "subtly to manipulate formulaic phrases to communicate shades of meaning" (10). Indeed, this book makes its most important contributions in investigation of the "emotional and subjective dimensions" of the Gonzaga/Este correspondence (5)

• Introduction 1: Betrothal 2: Building a Spousal Relationship 3: The Crafting of Identity and the Division of Political Labour 4: Parallel Aspirations: First Fruits 5: Risk Taking and Risk Management 6: Parenthood and Politics 7: Years of Crisis 8: A Mind of her Own Conclusion

Carolyn James is Cassamarca Associate Professor in the School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies at Monash University, Australia. She has edited the letters of the fifteenth century Bolognese literary figure, Giovanni Sabadino degli Arienti and analysed his literary works. With Antonio Pagliaro, she translated the late-medieval letters of Margherita Datini. She has written on women's political and diplomatic roles in Renaissance Italy, as well as early modern women's relationship with letter-writing. She is presently engaged on a project focused on the Italian Wars 1494-1559, with Professor Susan Broomhall and Dr Lisa Mansfield.

Carolyn James shows a deft and deeply knowledgeable reading of the letters and the ways in which Isabella and Francesco knew how "subtly to manipulate formulaic phrases to communicate shades of meaning" (10). Indeed, this book makes its most important contributions in investigation of the "emotional and subjective dimensions" of the Gonzaga/Este correspondence (5)

• Introduction 1: Betrothal 2: Building a Spousal Relationship 3: The Crafting of Identity and the Division of Political Labour 4: Parallel Aspirations: First Fruits 5: Risk Taking and Risk Management 6: Parenthood and Politics 7: Years of Crisis 8: A Mind of her Own Conclusion

Carolyn James is Cassamarca Associate Professor in the School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies at Monash University, Australia. She has edited the letters of the fifteenth century Bolognese literary figure, Giovanni Sabadino degli Arienti and analysed his literary works. With Antonio Pagliaro, she translated the late-medieval letters of Margherita Datini. She has written on women's political and diplomatic roles in Renaissance Italy, as well as early modern women's relationship with letter-writing. She is presently engaged on a project focused on the Italian Wars 1494-1559, with Professor Susan Broomhall and Dr Lisa Mansfield.

Carolyn James shows a deft and deeply knowledgeable reading of the letters and the ways in which Isabella and Francesco knew how "subtly to manipulate formulaic phrases to communicate shades of meaning" (10). Indeed, this book makes its most important contributions in investigation of the "emotional and subjective dimensions" of the Gonzaga/Este correspondence (5)

• Introduction 1: Betrothal 2: Building a Spousal Relationship 3: The Crafting of Identity and the Division of Political Labour 4: Parallel Aspirations: First Fruits 5: Risk Taking and Risk Management 6: Parenthood and Politics 7: Years of Crisis 8: A Mind of her Own Conclusion