Isabella Appiani

Isabella Appiani (1577 – 10 November 1661) ^[1] was an Italian noblewoman as the daughter of Alessandro Appiani and his wife, Isabella de Mendoza. She was Princess of Piombino from 1611 to 1628.^[2] Through her father, she was a descendent of Lorenzo de' Medici.

Her full title was: Isabella, Princess of Piombino, Marchioness of Populonia, Lady of Scarlino, Populonia, Vignale, Abbadia del Fango, Suvereto, Buriano and the Islands of Elba, Montecristo, Pianosa, Cerboli and Palmaionla.^[3]

Life

In 1589, Isabella's father died; he was succeeded by his son Jacob VII. As the boy was in his minority, their mother acted as regent. In 1603, Jacob died childless, prompting fears of Spanish rule.^[4] Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor succeeded the same year; he ruled until 1611, until an invasion by the Appiani family which deposed Rudolf and replaced him with Isabella, as she was Jacob's closest surviving relative .

Isabella was the first ever Princess of Piombino, but was only the third female ruler after Paola Colonna and Caterina Appiani, who were both titled Lady of Piombino.

Isabella firstly married at Geno to Giorgio de Mendoza; they had a son who died young and a daughter, Polissena who married Niccolò Ludovisi and had issue. Giorgio died in 1618. Isabella later married secondly in Rome in 1622 to Paolo Giordano II Orsini, son of Virginio Orsini, Duke of Bracciano. Following their marriage, Paolo commissioned Simon Vouet to paint a portrait of Isabella.^[5]

In 1628, the Spanish invaded again and managed to conquer the principality; as a result, Isabella and Paolo were forced to flee Piombino. In 1634, the principality was assigned to Isabella's son-in-law Niccolò.

In 1633, Isabella became a grandmother when her daughter Polissena gave birth to a son, Gregorio Filippo.

Isabella died on 10 November 1661 in Rome aged eighty-three or eighty-four, having outlived her daughter and grandson.

Ancestry

References