Taming the Enemy: The 1556 return of Queen Bona Sforza to Italy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/fhc.31204Keywords:
Bona Sforza, Sigismund Augustus, Habsburgs, succession, dynastic politicsAbstract
This paper explores the return of Queen Bona Sforza to Italy as a deliberate and strategic move to counteract Habsburg opposition and secure the inheritance of her Italian domains for her son, Sigismund Augustus. In the mid-16th century, Queen Bona recognised significant political challenges in maintaining her heirs’ control over the principalities of Bari and Rossano, which were part of her inheritance from her mother, Isabella of Aragon. Bona’s return to Italy from Poland in 1556 was a calculated strategy to negotiate her Italian claims directly with the Habsburg dynasts. Bona’s decision to “tame the enemy” on their political terrain reflects the multifaceted strategies of conflict resolution and power negotiation employed by royal women of the time. This paper argues that Bona’s return was not simply a retreat from her political role in Poland but a proactive attempt to secure her family’s legacy. This analysis will contribute to a broader understanding of women’s political strategies in early modern Europe, highlighting Bona’s role in shaping Polish and European politics.
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