The Tigress of Forlì: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza De' Medici

Well-written and meticulously researched, "The Tigress of Forli" recreates the world of Renaissance Italy in all its grandeur and violence. At the center stands a remarkable woman, Caterina Riario Sforza. Mother, warrior, and icon, Caterina is unforgettable, and so is the exciting story that Elizabeth Lev tells here. Barry Strauss, author of "Masters of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar and the Genius of Leadership"
"The legendary Countess loved and jousted with many men throughout her life, including"
Pope Sixtus IV, Caterina s benefactor and uncle by marriage, who commissioned the Sistine Chapel frescoes in which she is immortalized
Count Girolamo Riario, Caterina s first husband and an originator of the Pazzi Conspiracy, whose corrupt ways led to their flight from Rome to Forli
Niccolo Machiavelli, the Florentine political theorist who was humiliated by Caterina as a young diplomat, and later took revenge with his pen
Giacomo Feo, Caterina s secret second husband, a jumped-up family retainer whose assassination led to a bloodbath on the streets of Forli
Giovanni de Medici Il Popolano, Caterina s beloved third husband, who provided Caterina entrance into Florence s culture and society, and an heir worthy of her legacy
Cesare Borgia, nephew to the ruthless Borgia pope Alexander VI, who would bring Caterina s rule to an end with unspeakable cruelty
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