Lucretia Borgia

Neither Lucrezia Borgia nor any of the female members of the nobility in that time ever had a musical chapel, unlike their respective husbands. However, part of his domestic budget was destined to string instrument players maintenance, singers and, to a very important person: a dance teacher. If being aware of the latest fashion dances was a socially essential issue, so it was musical evenings organization, with the common instrumental group composed by lutes or violas, an instrument that seems to had it's origins in Valencia in the middle of XV century, and from there traveled to Italy. About Lucrezia musical taste nothing is known, but not so her husband Alfonso d'Este, who (perhaps) in homage to his new wife was at the head of six violas consort in the celebrations of their own wedding, reflected in this Capella de Ministrers recording.