"The current volume seeks to open a discussion on Duchess Eleonora di Toledo. It is not, as one would wish, a comprehensive re-examination of her role as duchess, but a first step in that direction. It brings together a variety of scholars working in various disciplines in an effort to look anew at 'who donna Eleonora di Toledo was' and what she did. While many of the articles take their cue from art history (a natural reflection of the innovative research recent art historians have carried out on the duchess), they also reach out towards other disciplines - political history, literature, spectacle, and religion to mention just a few. In so doing, they expand our understanding of Eleonora's place in her society and shed a subtle, more profound light on a very complex, determined, and capable woman. "--BOOK JACKET.