The Tigress Of Forli: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de' Medici – A Biography of Power and Resistance

This is a story that holds the interest. The political schemes, wars, and assassinations of that era are covered in detail, often with the horror and suspense which medieval cruelty and duplicity invite. As a writer of talent, this author brings the characters to life with an abundance of details which one cannot find elsewhere. Moreover, her use of adjectives is masterful, so precise and evocative that I cannot refrain from complimenting the author on their use. This biographer has chosen a historical episode and a leading character of great interest. Caterina of Forli was certainly courageous and resourceful during the multitudinous and perilous changes of fortune which characterized the Italy of that time. She also proved as devious and unsparing as any of the male rulers, faced as she was by the many enemies of her family. Following the assassination of her beloved second husband, for instance, she destroyed the conspirators and even their families with great cruelty. She will be remembered forever, however, for her defiance of the Borgia pope and his ruthless son Cesare. The author triumphs in telling the story of the assault on the fortress at Forli and the capture of a woman unbowed by the fortunes of war. By contrast, the indifference of her elder sons to her imprisonment and suffering, their cupidity, their ambition for higher positions in the Church while making no effort to help her are both shocking and disgusting. You will not find a more complete recounting of these tragic events than in this history of a valiant woman fighting against all the hardships of medieval Italy. After her capture by the terrible Cesare Borgia, I had to pause often before continuing with this record of the indignities and suffering inflicted on this woman. I recommend this biography to anyone seeking history related in an interesting way. This biographer, moreover, provides an extra benefit by adding to the book a brief account of the career and death of Caterina's youngest son, the great warrior Giovanni dalle Bande Nere.

Ms Lev does incredible research for this tribute to Caterina Sforza. Reading was often a little slow; names so similar and so many characters had this reader re-reading many passages. But the author does a great job bringing life and personality to the Countess. The history of the 15th and early 16th century was brutal, politically motivated by power and money. It would have been a difficult time to be in certain social situations. Families were complex entities, children often being means to enhance dynasties. For history buffs, this is a must read.

"The Tigress of Forli" by Elizabeth Lev. A well written fast moving tale of Caterina Riario Sforza De Medici. The illegitimate daughter of the Galeazzno Maria Sforza Duke of Milan. A noblewoman of the Renaissance in Italy. She was raised in her father's household as was the custom of the day and as well educated as his legitimate children. At an early age she was also trained in military tactics which later in her life proved extremely useful. Girls were often married off at early ages (Caterina was only 10) to forge alliances of family convenience and never argued over the practice of being a pawn in a chess game, even though she did not live directly with her husband for several more years. She eventually was to bare him 6 children. Caterina was a woman of renown beauty, intelligence, courage and fortitude in Renaissance Italy. In an age where women were little more than a husbands possession and didn't hold any large amount of power or have any hope of having any. Caterina managed to gain control of her husband's kingdom after he was assassinated to retain it for her numerous children until they were of age and she ruled for a number of years. Caterina displayed the kind of intelligence, chivalry made her legendary in her day. That most women of the day were not known to possess. Caterina proves to be a wily woman not easily subdued. She married two more times. She appeared to be a woman of extremes on the scales of human frailty from extreme cruelty to empathy beyond ones wildest imagination. She was capable of welding a sword and defending her tiny kingdom from the dreaded Caesare Borgia who had designs on it. He managed to finally capture her, raped repeatedly and was taken to Rome and prison for the next few years. But, she refused to give up her children's claim of their birthright to Borgia. An excellent read with as much adventure as any modern day concocted adventure novel. The type of a woman a lot of we women find admirable because she had a lot of backbone and guts. She proved to be a larger than life person, her children were never able to live up to her image. I enjoy this type of novel so am going to give it the highest marks I can, because it is definitely an excellent book and well written. It reminds me a lot of the 'Angelique' novel's of the 60's written by French authors Sergeanne Golon that I used to read all the time. Except they were fiction where as this is a biography of a real life woman of the Renaissance. But, travels in the same vein and it is the tale of a strong woman with the will of iron, who made the Sforza name proud in her day.

This book was well written. Authors of History tend to be fanciful with big words and long winded sentences that tend to lose me in the narrative. But this was written more like a story than a history. I love that when Elizabeth mentions the name of someone, even if she has already introduced this person previously in the book, she adds the connection to Caterina so that you can make the connection again quickly in your head as to who they are. It's very easy to forget who is who especially when everybody has almost the same name. She gave just enough back history to tie into the story without overrunning the book with useless information that usually leaves me wanting for the actual story I bought the book for. I love the Snippets of personal moments and feelings of what Caterina was going through. The attention to detail keeps you feeling connected to the story and to Caterina herself. I love history but some authors make it so boring and confusing to read about. Elizabeth made this exciting and heartfelt. I loved it!!! Thank you Elizabeth!!

Observing the fact that she was far more intelligent and courageous than her spouse, Caterina preferred to bear her father's name, Sforza, rather than her husband's (although, perhaps unknown to her, her father, Galeazzo Maria Sforze, was a rapist, torturer and mass murderer). But despite Caterina's intelligence and courage, Elizabeth Lev's book THE TIGRESS OF FORLI demonstrates once again the impossible role of being a truly free woman in a man's world. She was deflowered at age 10, by a man naturally, and spent her entire life bearing a man's children (Lev says she had 3 in one 2-year period, obviously impossible unless she had twins, which Lev passes in silence). Caterina was so beautiful that Botticelli portrays her in his fabulous The Primavera, but even then, her beauty comes to us through the hands of a man. Her most famous act was to show her privates, from the top of a fortress, when the men below threatened to kill her imprisoned--and deeply beloved--sons, saying something like `Who cares? With this I can create others'. Her husband assassinated, she went on to rule her lands, in the name of her young sons, brilliantly. One moving episode was her love for a handsome stable boy, a boy she'd fallen for when he was 15, whom she secretly married. Lev says that he had nothing to offer her `but his heart', forgetting, surely, his virile Italian ****. The boy was assassinated, but although the loss was devastating and her revenge Carthaginian, she found another young and handsome lad that she married. After years of felicity she was captured by Pope Alexander VI's son Cesare Borgia and used by him until sated. (Cesare might have been scum, but what a life HE led!) But before her capture Cesare, knowing Caterina's weakness for handsome boys--and Cesare was a mean dog in that category--tried to seduce here while showing his wares in front of her fortification, so sure of himself that he nearly got across the drawbridge on the end of which she was smiling alluringly, but feeling it rise under his feet, he rushed off just in time, saluting Caterina with verbal filth (and supposedly in no other language can one be as filthy as in Italian). It's sad that Caterina is so little known, much less so than Cleopatra although Caterina was as beautiful, as smart and certainly braver, but alas for her she had no real opposition: her first husband was an idiot, the stable boy was dull-witted (this is not a slur against stable boys in general, as I appreciate them as much as other guys appreciate them). And Cesare, fearless stud that he was, was no Marc Antony and no Jules Cesar. The sinister history of women continues down to the present, even here in France, home of the Rights of MAN, where women were finally `allowed' to vote only in 1944. My own books can be found on Amazon under Michael Hone.

For anyone who wants to understand the other half of history (the one that chronicles the achievements, contributions, rises and falls of women), this is a great place to start. Very reminiscent of Irving Stone's 'the Agony and the Ecstacy' but that's no surprise given that it is a story from the same world. Great research, interesting language and a brilliant telling of one woman's life.

This is the story of a remarkable woman, Caterina Sforzi. The history of Italy is told through Caterina, which makes it much more interesting and alive. I can thoroughly recommend this book, it reads like a novel, but great care has been taken to keep to the historical facts. If you are at all interested in Italy then read this book, you will learn so much about the country and many well known renaissance figures. ie. Leonardo da Vinci, the Medici"s, Macchiavelli, Michelangelo and the various Dukes, Counts, Popes, leaders of many of the state's that made up the Italy of the middle ages. This is a well written book---Read it!

Elizabeth Lev uses contemporary documents to outline the life of this truly remarkable woman. If you have seen the television series The Borgias you will already be familiar with this woman as one of Pope Alexander's most formidable foes. But the reality is even more fascinating than the picture portrayed on the small screen. From being just a trophy child-bride Caterina used her intelligence, her wit, her charms and certainly her sexual magnetism to outwit most of her enemies to establish herself as probably the most admired woman of her times. She makes modern strong females look like wimps, but without losing her femininity.

A fascinating woman, everyone should know her story!!! Great read!