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Antonio Beccadelli of Bologna (c.1475-1513) was an Italian aristocrat, whose tragic love affair and secret marriage with Giovanna d'Aragona, Duchess of Amalfi, inspired several works of literature, most notably John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi and Lope de Vega's El mayordomo de la Duquesa Amalfi.
Information about the life of Antonio Beccadelli is mostly derived from Matteo Bandello's account of the events.[1] Bandello probably knew Beccadelli personally when the latter was living in Milan.[2] Despite some elements of poetic licence (including portraying himself under the name Delio), Bandello's basic account is supported by contemporary literature such as Camillo Tutini's Chronicle,[3] and the genealogical works of Scipione Ammirato.[4]
Beccadelli was the son of Antonino Beccadelli and Giulia di Sangro, and grandson of the famous humanist Antonio Beccadelli, known as Panormita. His paternal grandfather had been inducted into the ranks of the aristocracy of Naples by Alfonso V in 1450. Despite belonging to the city aristocracy, and his impressive personal qualities, Beccadelli was not of sufficient social status to aspire to the hand of a woman of royal blood such as Giovanna d'Aragona.[5]
Beccadelli became the estate manager of Frederick, King of Naples from 1494. When Frederick surrendered to the French (1501), Beccadelli retired to private life in Naples with an annual pension of about a thousand ducats. By 1498 he was working as the estate manager of Giovanna d'Aragona, the young widow of Alfonso I, Duke of Amalfi, who had a young son born after her husband's death. The two soon became intimately involved and were married secretly, having two children.[5] The Duchess chose to make the marriage public in November 1510, when she travelled with a large retinue on a pilgrimage to Santa Maria of Loreto.[2] In fact the Duchess went to Ancona to join Antonio.[6]
ジョヴァンナの兄であるルイージ・ダラゴナ枢機卿が結婚を知ると、その関係に対する反対をはっきりと表明したため、公爵夫人とその家族はシエナへ向かうことを選んだ。[ 2 ] [ 3 ]公爵夫人はシエナとヴェネツィアの間を移動中に捕らえられ、侍女と2人の息子とともにベッカデッリによってアマルフィの塔に投獄された。そこで彼らは全員行方不明となり、おそらく殺害されたと思われるが、この事実は何年も後になるまで明らかにならなかった。妻と子供たちの運命を知らないベッカデッリはミラノに身を隠した。しばらくの間、彼はシルヴィオ・サヴェッリの保護下にあった。その後、ビトント侯爵ジャン・フランチェスコ・アクアヴィーヴァに仕えるようになった。最終的に、彼はダニエレ・ボゾーロ率いる枢機卿が送り込んだ3人の暗殺者によって暗殺された。これがミラノで起きたのかパドヴァで起きたのかは不明である。[ 7 ]
この悲劇的な物語は、マッテオ・バンデッロの記述を基にした多くの文学作品に影響を与えてきた。それらには以下のようなものがある。