Isabella Appiani

Isabella Appiani
Princess of Piombino
Spouse(s)	Giorgio de Mendoza Paolo Giordano II Orsini
Issue Polissena, Hereditary Princess of Piombino
Noble family	Appiani
Father	Alessandro Appiani
Mother	Isabella de Mendoza
Born	1577
Died	10 November 1661 Rome, Italy

Isabella Appiani (1577 – 10 November 1661) was Princess of Piombino from 1611 until 1628. Through her father, she was a descendent of Lorenzo de' Medici.

Life

She was the daughter of Alessandro Appiani and his wife, Isabella de Mendoza. In 1589 her father died; he was succeeded by her brother Jacob VII. As the boy was in his minority, their mother acted as regent. In 1603, Jacob died childless, prompting fears of Spanish rule. Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor succeeded the same year; he ruled until 1611, until an invasion by the Appiani family which deposed Rudolf and replaced him with Isabella, Jacob's closest surviving relative.

Isabella was the first Princess of Piombino, but the third female ruler after Paola Colonna and Caterina Appiani, both of whom were titled Lady of Piombino. Her full title was: Isabella, Princess of Piombino, Marchioness of Populonia, Lady of Scarlino, Populonia, Vignale, Abbadia del Fango, Suvereto, Buriano and the Islands of Elba, Montecristo, Pianosa, Cerboli and Palmaionla.

Isabella firstly married Giorgio de Mendoza at Genoa; they had a son who died young and a daughter, Polissena, who married Niccolò Ludovisi and had issue. Giorgio died in 1618. Isabella was married secondly in Rome in 1622 to Paolo Giordano II Orsini, son of Virginio Orsini, Duke of Bracciano. Following their marriage, Paolo commissioned Simon Vouet to paint a portrait of Isabella.

In 1628, the Spanish invaded again and managed to conquer the principality; as a result, Isabella and Paolo were forced to flee Piombino. In 1634, the principality was assigned to Isabella's son-in-law Niccolò.

In 1633, Isabella became a grandmother when her daughter Polissena gave birth to a son, Gregorio Filippo.

Isabella died in Rome on 10 November 1661, aged 83 or 84, having outlived her daughter and grandson.

Ancestry

Family of Isabella Appiani

16. Iacopo IV Appiani, Lord of Piombino               8. Iacopo V Appiani, Lord of Piombino                       17. Vittoria Todeschini Piccolomini               4. Iacapo VI Appiani, Lord of Piombino                             18. Jacopo Salviati               9. Elena Salviati                       19. Lucrezia de' Medici               2. Alessandro Appiani, Lord Piombino                                   10. Ettore Fieschi, conde de Lavagna y Savignone                       5. Virginia Fieschi                             1. Isabella Appiani, Princess of Piombino                                         24. Honorato Hurtado de Mendoza y Manrique               12. Garcia Manrique de Lara y de Mendoza y Silva                       25. Francisca de Silva y Rivera               6. Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza y Briceño, Conde de Viñasco                             26. Don Cristobal de Briceño, Señor de Villaquejida               13. Isabel Briceño y Arevalo (Isabel era hermana del Abad Briceño)                       27.  ??? Arevalo               3. Isabella of Mendoza                                   28. Juan Briceño, Señor de Villaquejida (Otro hijo de Juan, fue Francisco Briceño (el santo)casado con Maria Osorio Pimentel               29.               7. Barbara Castiglioni                             30.               31.

References

Preceded by Rudolf

Princess of Piombino 1611–1628

Succeeded by Philip