Abstract

The Italian Countess Caterina Sforza is one of the most studied political figures of the Renaissance Italian era, due to her status as a rare female ruler in a male-dominated society. Previous historical research on Caterina has focused on her status as a female ruler and an exceptional woman in a time when women were barred from public service. My thesis, however, examines Caterina Sforza through a different lens – her ability to manipulate the gender customs and expectation of her society in order to maintain her power, wealth and position, and successfully serve as an autonomous ruler. I researched Caterina's life by studying her biographies, personal letters, and artifacts. Caterina Sforza freely moved between the feminine and masculine gender roles of Renaissance Italy, manipulating both narratives separately and simultaneously in order to fulfill her political agenda and ensure the survival of her family, and was successful in wielding both roles to the extent that she earned the respect and admiration of her contemporaries, eventually becoming one of Italy’s national heroes and the first true female political leader in Italy.