Florence

Before obtaining the post of Ducal Commissioner for Garfagnana, Alfonso I sent Ariosto on two missions to the Medici in Florence. The choice of had its reason in that that poet had good relations with the House of Medici. His first embassy was in February 1519, the second in May of the same year. During the one in the winter, which took place between 21 February and 2 march, Ludovico was supposed to have met Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino, who was unwell, so as to convey him the greetings and the concern for his health of the Duke of Ferrara. But it was indeed the gravity of the Duke’s condition that obliged Ludovico to ‘fall back’ upon Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici (later to become Pope Clement VII) who, in his capacity as secretary to his cousin the Duke, acted as intermediary. His second mandate was instead given to him for the death of Maddalena de la Tour d’Auvergne, Lorenzo di Piero’s wife. Ludovico reached Florence on the evening of 4 May to discover that Lorenzo had died that same morning. The nature of his mission was thus modified as it was taking place and Duke Alfonso I charged Ariosto with the task of representing him also at the funeral for the Duke and also proffering the appropriate condolences, as well as present Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici new diplomatic credentials. Ludovico became the man who tried to influence the Medici Pope Leone X on behalf of the House of Este by immediately supporting Giulio de’ Medici’s candidacy as the successor of Lorenzo Duke of Urbino. Ludovico referred back to Duke Alfonso how the Florentines had by then become fed up with the yoke put upon them by the Medici and thus seems to anticipate the hard judgement he indeed made in  Satire IV of Lorenzo Duke of Urbino, nicknamed Laurino: "Laurin si fa de la sua patria capo / et in privato il pubblico converte; / tre ne confina, a sei ne taglia il capo, / comicia volpe, indi con forze aperte / esce leon, poi ch’ha ‘l popul sedutto / con licenze, con doni e con offerte" (vv. 94-99).