Fashion in Florence 1540-1580

Eleonora di Toledo’s style and influence

Florence, 1539: with the arrival of Eleonora di Toledo, daughter of the viceroy of Naples and young bride of Cosimo de’ Medici, there was a new atmosphere in the city. Florentine fashion, still influenced by the strict morality of Savonarola, opened up to more international taste thanks to the Duchess’ style. Even if she loved luxury and the news coming from the principal European courts, Eleonora tried not to offend her subjects with an excessive ostentation. She adopted a simple style, made up of a combination of traditional elements and new ones, and she became a model of discretion and harmony for the following sovereigns of Florence. The wardrobe of the duchess, almost completely reconstructed through archive files and the contemporary portraits, allows an accurate analysis of each piece of clothing: each of them contributed to the evolution of fashion and style over the next forty years.

1st edition: May 2005

1st reprint: March 2007

2nd edition: March 2019

256 Pages
Height 310
Width 240
Publisher: Mauro Pagliai