SummerSimo Travel Troubles Notes and The Purring Page

Sandro Botticelli deemed her “the unparalleled.” Lorenzo the Magnificent composed a sonnet for her, opening with: “O chiara stella, che co’ raggi tuoi, togli alle tue vicine stelle il lume, perché splendi assai più del tuo costume?” (O bright star, with your rays, you rob all your neighboring stars of their light, why do you shine so much more than you usually do?).

The poet Bernardo Pulci compared her to Petrarch’s ‘Laura bella’ and Dante’s Beatrice. Giuliano de’ Medici penned verses to her, and countless painters vied to capture her likeness.

Poliziano wrote: “Candida is she, and white is her vest. The entire forest awakens around her, and she soothes all their worries. She is regally meek in her manner, and with her gaze, she calms storms.” For some, these verses inspired Botticelli’s masterpiece, “Primavera.”

In Florence, at the cusp of the Renaissance, there lived a young woman of striking beauty, more sought-after than a modern-day Instagram influencer and more fiercely contested than a 1980s supermodel.

Simonetta Cattaneo, as she was known before her marriage at 16, was likely born in Genoa, Italy, in 1453. Upon arriving in Florence, already married to Marco Vespucci, a distant relative of the famed navigator, she ignited a firestorm among the Tuscan city’s noblemen. It was as if a group of famished men had never encountered a beautiful woman, even on Tinder.

In the 16th century, as is often the case today, marriage didn’t deter potential suitors. Many, including Botticelli, were allegedly obsessed with her, but the most persistent was the handsome Giuliano de’ Medici.

Giuliano even participated in a tournament, dedicating his victory to Simonetta and displaying a banner bearing her portrait painted by the usually aloof Botticelli. Giuliano was so enamored with Simonetta that he never loved another after her untimely death, aided by the Pazzi family, who also facilitated his own demise just two years later in the infamous Pazzi conspiracy. A conspiracy to which Vespucci was not entirely unrelated.

Regarding the intense affection between Giuliano and Botticelli for the young woman, rumors swirled that while Giuliano rode with her, Sandro was engaged in “manual labor” – a euphemism for his artistic endeavors inspired by Simonetta.

Simonetta’s story foreshadows the less-than-exalted figure of beauty fought over by famous men, fodder for gossip and speculation. Her tale echoes that of Pattie Boyd, the model who captivated both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, inspiring three iconic 20th-century songs: the Beatles’ “Something” and Clapton’s “Layla” and “Wonderful Tonight.”

Vespucci’s life, however, was fleeting like a shooting star. She tragically fell ill and died at the young age of 23. The cause remains uncertain, with theories ranging from consumption to plague or pneumonia. In those times, the journey to the afterlife was far less complicated.

Her passing ignited a veritable cult in Florence. Simonetta’s face is said to be the model for several of Botticelli’s portraits, including Venus emerging from the waves and Flora in “Primavera,” where she is believed to be one of the muses, alongside Caterina Sforza. Piero di Cosimo depicted her as Cleopatra, Signorelli in the “Education of Pan,” and Lippi in a magnificent portrait. Simonetta Vespucci became a Renaissance superstar.

But how much of this is true? Historians find no concrete evidence to support these claims. There’s no proof that the women portrayed bear Simonetta’s likeness; in fact, some dates seem to contradict this notion. The features vary significantly across different paintings.

However, legends are often more appealing than reality. Simonetta Vespucci continues to be a subject of fascination over five hundred years later. Had her story been fully documented, it’s unlikely she would still hold such allure.