Ferrara

After Lucrezia weds Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara, she becomes Duchess of Ferrara and moves to the new city. The majority of the scenes set in the Italian city take place withing the castle. At court, Alfonso is the foremost authority and he attempts to establish his power by rejecting the pope’s exile of his mother. He fears that he will lose control of the duchy if he is seen to be emasculated by the women he is related to. Throughout the novel, Afonso’s goal is to produce an heir in order to ensure his family’s legacy and power in Ferrara.

Florence

The majority of the flash backs in The Marriage Portrait are set in Florence, Italy. Cosimo, Lucrezia’s father is the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his castle is in Florence. As a child, Lucrezia is confined within the castello and has no experience...