Specchi delle Principesse. Ranuccio Pico e la regalità santa femminile (XVII secolo)

Ranuccio Pico (1568-1644), secretary to Ranuccio and Odoardo Farnese, was also a political writer and the author of an impressive project about holy kingship e queen- ship. Focusing on his Principesse sante (Vita di Santa Margherita Reina di Scozia e Vita di Santa Elisabetta Reina di Portogallo, both published in 1625), this essay addresses the issue of feminine political power, on the one hand highlighting the proposed model of sovereignty and its virtues, and on the other investigating how women were considered when entering the sphere of political power and the role they played in political discourse.