Catherine Cornaro
Caterina Cornaro (* November 25, 1454 in Venice, † July 10, 1510 in Asolo ) was from 1474 to 1489 last queen of Cyprus.
Life
Caterina came from the family of the Doge of Venice Marco Corner. She was the eldest of five daughters of patrician Marco Cornaro and his wife Fiorenza Crispo, a Byzantine princess and granddaughter of Emperor Manuel III. From this origin Caterina's claim to the throne of Cyprus was derived in Venice.
Queen of Cyprus
In 1468 it was with King James II of Lusignan, also called James the Bastard, married, whose claims were disputed on the throne. Jacob was a friend of Caterina's father and her uncle, who probably supports him financially. Before their departure to Cyprus in 1472 she was adopted by the Republic of Venice as the daughter. In Cyprus she was crowned queen. Eight months later, the king died, and Caterina brought shortly after birth to a son, who, however, died before the age of one year. Presumably he was poisoned.
Caterina was now the Regent of Cyprus and was advised and monitored in their government affairs representatives of the Republic of Venice. Their rule in Cyprus, however, was poor, with and supported by Genoa opposition they tried to persuade her to enter into a new marriage in the hope of an heir. To secure Venice influence on Cyprus, Caterina was persuaded by intervention of her brother Giorgio Corner to abdicate. A Cyprus Venetian fleet at anchor in front underscored this requirement strongly. 1489 joined the Serenissima to the legacy of their "daughter" Caterina Cornaro.
Asolo
Upon their return to Venice, she was rewarded with the town and castle of Asolo in northern Italy, where they took up residence for the next twenty years. Title and rank of a queen, although she was allowed to keep, but in fact had no rights of a sovereign, but was under the supervision of the Republic. Caterina resided in Asolo in the circle of poets, scholars and artists. Outstanding member of their circle was the humanist Pietro Bembo. His book Gli ASOLANI is a dialogue among courtiers about love in which it abuts one of the central themes of the Renaissance, the reflection of an idealized and spiritualized love according to the conception of the Florentine Marsilio Ficino.
Caterina Cornaro in art and literature
Caterina was active in Asolo as patron and commissioned the building of a summer palace in order. Her circle was probably the young Giorgione, who painted a portrait of Caterina according to Vasari, but that is not obtained. Tuzio Costanzo, the longtime Condottiere Caterina, Giorgione commissioned the altarpiece in Castelfranco Veneto. It was created by Gentile Bellini (1429-1507) about 1500 portrays ( Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest). Also the picture "The Miracle of the True Cross " by the same artist ( Accademia, Venice) from 1500 shows presumably as a kneeling figure on the left in profile. A picture of Paolo Veronese ( or his sons ) in the Berlin Gemäldegalerie shows Caterina Cornaro, as they are the crown of Cyprus to the Doge of Venice. The Austrian Hans Makart historicist painting " Venice pays homage Catarina Cornaro ".
Her life was the subject of five operas, for example, Franz Lachner ( Catherine Cornaro, 1841, libretto by de Saint -Georges ), Donizetti ( Catharina Cornaro, Naples 1844), Jacques Fromental Halévy (La reine de Chypre ) and Michael William Balfe ( The daughter of St. Mark, 1844). The Viennese writer Anna Forstheim wrote in 1875 drama " Catarina Cornaro ". In Thomas Mielke's novel " gold for the emperor " she also plays an important role. Charlotte Adams published a novella " Catarina Cornaro " in Harper 's new monthly magazine 57, 340 by 1878. In the radio play " Caterina Cornaro " by Marie Luise Kaschnitz a Venetian councilor says you 'll " let them paint by master Titian ." This is an allusion to Titian's painting of Caterina Cornaro in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.