nuary
7, 1502.

[155] The duke to his ambassador in Rome, Ferrara, January 22, 1502, in
the Minute Ducali a Costabili Beltrando Oratore a Roma.

CHAPTER II

FORMAL ENTRY INTO FERRARA

February 1st Lucretia continued her journey to Ferrara by the canal.
Near Malalbergo she found Isabella Gonzaga waiting to meet her. At the
urgent request of her father, the marchioness, much against her will,
had come to do the honors during the festivities in his palace. "In
violent anger," so she wrote her husband, who remained at home, she
greeted and embraced her sister-in-law. She accompanied her by boat to
Torre della Fossa, where the canal empties into a branch of the Po. This
river, a majestic stream, flows four miles from Ferrara, and only a
branch--Po di Ferrara--now known as the Canale di Cento, reaches the
city, where it divides into two arms, the Volano and Primaro, both of
which empty into the Adriatic. They are very small canals, and,
therefore, it could have been no pleasure to travel on them, nor was it
an imposing spectacle.

The duke, with Don Alfonso and his court, awaited Lucretia at Torre
della Fossa. When she left the boat the duke saluted her on the cheek,
she having first respectfully kissed his hand. Thereupon, all mounted a
magnificently decorated float, to which the foreign ambassadors and
numerous cavaliers came to kiss the bride's hand. To the strains of
music and the thunder of cannon the cavalcade proceeded to the Borgo S.
Luca, where they all descended. Lucretia took up her residence in the
palace of Alberto d'Este, Ercole's illegitimate brother. Here she was
received by Lucretia Bentivigolio, natural daughter of Ercole, and
numerous ladies of her court. The duke's seneschal brought to her Madonna
Teodora and twelve young women who were to serve her as
ladies-in-waiting. Five beautiful carriages, each drawn by four horses,
a present from her father-in-law, were placed at her disposal. In this
villa, which is no longer in existence, Lucretia spent the night. The
suburb of S. Luca is still there, but the entire locality is so changed
that it would be impossible to recognize it.

The seat of the Este was thronged with thousands of sightseers, some of
whom had been invited by the duke and others drawn thither by curiosity.
All the vassals of the State, but not the reigning princes, were
present. The lords of Urbino and Mantua were represented by the ladies
of their families, and the house of Be