The Florentine rendering and observance of Platonism favoured illicit connections between the sexes.  The palaces of the nobles and of the wealthy merchants were nothing more or less than harems.  The manners and traditions of the Orient took root, not only in Florence, but in all the other Italian States, and the normal strictness and restrictions of lawful married life had everywhere all but disappeared.  Every household, not only of the noble but also of the middle class, had among its number a cicisbeo, or two or more,—­“unofficial wives”—­we may call them, possessed of almost equal rights and position as the lawful spouses.

* * * * *

The great event of the year 1562 was the marriage of Prince Francesco and the Archduchess Giovanna d’Austria.  Quite certainly the Duke and Duchess of Bracciano were among the notable personages present at the nuptials.  Indeed that year the Duke spent more of his time than usual in Florence, and was very busy buying and rebuilding the Villa Cerreto Guidi, and laying out the park and gardens—­the former for the pursuit of deer-hunting, the latter by way of rivalry to Pratolino—­Francesco and Bianca’s plaisance.

The Grand Duchess Giovanna was something like her predecessor, Duchess Eleanora, a serious-minded sort of woman, with no pretensions to beauty or ability, not at all the sort of sovereign for that gay and dissolute court.  The beau monde took themselves off to the Orte Oricellari—­to pay their devotions to the lovely Venetian mistress of their Sovereign; and to Poggio Baroncelli—­where Duchess Isabella reigned as queen of fashion and frivolity.

Cosimo and Cammilla de’ Martelli—­whom he married secretly and took away to his favourite Villa del Castello—­lived in strict retreat, rarely came into Florence, and kept no sort of state.  At the same time two sons of his were sources of keen anxiety.

Ferdinando, born 1549, was now wearing the Cardinal’s red hat, which hapless young Garzia’s hunting-knife had caused to fall from his brother Giovanni’s head in the Maremma.  Ambitious, jealous, but, perhaps, less depraved than his father, the Cardinal de’ Medici made no secret of his dislike of his brother Francesco and his innamorata, Bianca Buonaventuri.  He became a thorn in his father’s and brother’s sides on account of his extortionate and presumptuous demands.  His young stepmother—­only two years his senior—­favoured his pretensions, and so brought trouble upon herself, as we shall see later on.

Piero, Cosimo’s youngest legitimate son, was but a boy of fourteen when his father married his second wife.  Of course she was far too young and inexperienced to be of any use in guiding his growth and tastes.

The Court was thus divided:  the two parties were headed respectively by the Grand Duchess Giovanna, the titular Grand Duchess-dowager,—­so to call Cammilla,—­with the Cardinal de’ Medici; and by Bianca Cappello di Pietro Buonaventuri and Duchess Isabella of Bracciano.