The Real Duchess of Mafi

The Duchess of Malfi was, in fact a real and living person.
Her story is not exactly as portrayed in Webster's script, but it is quite similar.

Since the publication in 1623 of John Webster's play "The Duchess of Malfi", the life of Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi, has been the stuff of writers, artists and myth-makers. The issues that Giovanna lived and ultimately died for - the struggles between love and duty, between temporal and spiritual values - are real enough, but what is the truth behind the woman whose Cardinal brother takes a savage revenge when he discovers her secret marriage to a man beneath her social station?

Giovanna was destined for tragedy. Born into the royal house of Aragon in 1478, her father was poisoned and died before her birth; married at the age of twelve, she lost her first child in infancy; by twenty, she was a beautiful, rich and lonely widow.That she fell in love with with her accomplished young Steward, Antonio Bologna, was accepted; that she married him was not. In doing so Giovanna defied the social mores and conventions of her day and stalled the oveweening ambitions of her brother, (Cardinal) Luigi d'Aragona. In he acts of revenge that followed, she, her husband and her maid all met their deaths.

from "The Mystery of The Duchess of Malfi" by Barabara Banks Amendola

Coat of arms for Amalfi, located in the province of Salerno, Italy.

Born Giorvanna d'Aragon, she was married in 1490 at the age of 12 to Alfonso Piccolomini, son and heir of the first Duke of Amalfi. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1493 but died of gout in 1498. The Duchess was 19 at the time of his death and already had a daughter named Caterina. Their second child was born after the Duke's death in 1499 and succeeded to the Dukedom, which the Duchess ruled for him as regent.

Despite French and Spanish invasions, the state of Amalfi flourished. The Duchess was able to pay off debts incurred by her husband and live prosperously. Antonio Bologna who came of a reputable family was brought up in the court of Naples. He became major-domo to Frederico, the state's last Aragonian king and followed his master into exile in France. Upon Frederico's death, Antonio returned to Naples where he was offered the post of major-domo in the household of the Duchess of Malfi, who herself was of the Royal House of Aragon. The young widow fell quickly and passionately in love with Antonio.

Fearing the wrath of her brothers Lodovico who had resigned his title of Marquis of Gerace to become a Cardinal (referred in Webster's script simply as "The Cardinal"), and Carlo (whom Webster renamed Ferdinand) who had succeeded it, she married Antonio in secret, with her waiting woman as the sole witness to the ceremony. In real life, as in Webster's play, their marriage was successfully concealed for some years. The birth of their first child together was undetected, but the birth of a second caused rumours which, reaching the ears of the Aragonian brothers, led them to set spies to watch their sister. Antonio took his two children to Ancona, leaving the Duchess who was again pregnant, in her palace.

Unbearably lonely, she found an excuse to set out with a great retinue on pilgrimage to Loretto, from whence she proceeded to join Antonio. Upon her arrival in Ancona, she revealed her marriage to her household and declared that she would renounce her rank and title to live privately with Antonio and their children. One of her astonished servants set out to inform the Cardinal what had happened. The rest deserted her and returned to Amalfi.

At Ancona where their third child was born, the Duchess and her husband were allowed only a few month's peace before the Cardinal of Aragon put pressure on Cardinal Gonzaga, Legate of Ancona to banish Antonio. Having foreseen this, Antonio had made preparations to take refuge with a friend in Siena. As soon as the decree of his banishment was issued in 1511, he set out with the Duchess and their children, thus evading any attempt that might have been made to capture or murder them.

The Cardinal, continuing to exert his influence against them persuaded the head of Signiory of Siena to expel them. This time, Antonio and his family did not depart so quickly. One their way to Venice, they were overtaken by horsemen. By asserting that her brothers would not harm her in person, the Duchess was able to persuade Antonio to escape with their eldest child, a boy of 6 or 7 of age. They arrived safely in Milan, probably in the late summer of 1512. There is no evidence to connect the Aragonian brothers with the death of the Duchess, but after being taken back to her palace in Amalfi, neither she, her two youngest children nor her waiting woman were ever seen again.

Antonio did not know what had happened to them. But he was constantly warned that his life was in danger. One such warning came from a man named Delio who had heard Antonio's story from a Neapolitan friend.

On an October in 1513, Delio and a companion who were traveling with 2 servants on their way to mass at the church of S Francesco, passed Antonio, who appeared quite dismayed. A few minutes later, an uproar was heard. Looking back, Delio and his companion realized that Antonio had been stabbed to death by a Lombard captain named Daniele de Bozolo and three accomplices. All Four in Delio's party escaped.

Amanda Elizabeth Koh
Source: Professor Brian Gibbons's 'Introduction to The Duchess of Malfi'
(New Mermaids Edition, London, New York, 1993)

A Satisfied Tenant is Our Greatest Asset!

* Farhi Holdings is a proud sponsor of
the London Community Players production of The Duchess of Malfi

Our stage production is
Executive Produced
by the
London Community Players
and will run at their home venue,
The Palace Theatre
in February 2011
.

JordanMorris	Latest page update: made by JordanMorris , Nov 22 2010, 6:16 PM EST (about this update About This Update Edited by JordanMorris 202 words added view changes - complete history)
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