Vittoria Accoramboni, Duchess of Bracciano (15 February 1557 – 22 December 1585), was an Italian noblewoman whose dramatic life inspired John Webster's play The White Devil, as well as several novels and a novella by Stendhal.
Early Life
Born in Gubbio, Umbria, Vittoria was the tenth child in a minor noble family. Seeking greater opportunities, her family moved to Rome. Despite numerous marriage proposals, Vittoria’s father arranged her marriage to Francesco Peretti, a man of modest standing but the nephew of Cardinal Montalto, a prospective pope.
Rise to Prominence
Vittoria's beauty and charm captivated Rome’s elite, and although financially strained, she and her husband were deeply admired. Among her admirers was Paolo Giordano I Orsini, Duke of Bracciano, a powerful figure in Rome. Eager to elevate Vittoria’s status, her brother Marcello orchestrated Peretti's murder in 1581, allegedly with the Duke’s involvement, as he was also suspected of murdering his first wife, Isabella de' Medici. Freed from her marriage, Vittoria married the Duke shortly after.
Trials and Tribulations
Her newfound fortune attracted jealousy, leading to attempts to nullify her marriage. Vittoria was imprisoned in the Castel Sant'Angelo but was eventually freed through the efforts of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo. The situation took a darker turn with the death of Pope Gregory XIII and the rise of Cardinal Montalto as Pope Sixtus V in 1585. Determined to avenge his nephew’s murder, he targeted the Duke and Vittoria, forcing them to flee to Venice and later to Salò.
In November 1585, the Duke died, leaving Vittoria his personal estate, while the duchy of Bracciano went to his son from his first marriage. Grieving, Vittoria retired to Padua, where she faced further danger.
Assassination
Lodovico Orsini, a relative of her late husband and an agent of the Venetian Republic, pursued her to negotiate the property division. However, their discussions turned hostile, and Lodovico hired assassins to murder Vittoria in late 1585. The Venetian Republic later executed Lodovico and most of his accomplices.
Legacy
Vittoria Accoramboni’s life has been immortalized in literature. Her story inspired John Webster’s The White Devil (1612), Stendhal's novella Vittoria Accoramboni (1837–1839), Ludwig Tieck's novel Vittoria Accoramboni (1840), and Robert Merle’s novel l'Idole (1987), translated into English as Vittoria. She is also referenced in E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View, where a tennis ball is named the Beautiful White Devil after her.
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