Summary

At the outset of “Sisters of Alfonso II, Seen from a Distance”, Lucrezia and Alfonso leave the delizia for Ferrara. As they enter the city, a large crowd greets then, waving flags and shouting exuberantly. Inside the castle, the protagonist meets her sisters in law, Elisabetta and Nunciata. The former is warm and enthusiastic while the latter stands back, scrutinizing Lucrezia. When she asks if she will have the honor of meeting their mother, Alfonso tenses and says, “My mother is now in France, with our sister Anna. As I told you. So, I struggle to comprehend why my darling, you would ask about them” (229). Lucrezia is alarmed by the hostility in his voice for he had expressly refused to divulge details of his previous trip to Ferrara, and she had no information about the family’s...