Constanza Piccolomini: The Mutilated Muse by Phoebe Joyce

Whilst you’ve likely never heard of Costanza Piccolomini, you’ll probably know her face. You’ve also probably heard of the man who changed her life forever, for better or for worse. You won’t, however, have heard of her husband. Because it wasn’t Constanza’s Piccolomini’s husband who changed her life forever, it was Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Constanza Piccolomini was born in around 1614 to a family descended from the House of Piccolomini - a noble family historically from Siena. Through her marriage to Matteo Bonareli in February 1632, Costanza found herself in the peripheral world of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. As sculptor and restorer in Bernini’s workshop, Matteo and his wife would have likely enjoyed a comfortable life; had the story ended here we may have known Costanza Bonareli as the wife of a man in service of the great Bernini. Costanza would have taken her place in history as dutiful wife to a skilled man in service of a passionate artist. That may have been the case, had Costanza not caught Bernini’s eye.

But catch his eye she did, and the pair began what has traditionally been called an affair. Rachel Blackmore in the historical note of her her stunning debut novel Costanza stresses that we do not know how much agency Costanza possessed in her relationship with the renowned sculptor. It is easy to imagine a situation whereby Matteo and his wife felt unable to deny the hot headed, passionate Bernini when he claimed Costanza as his muse. If you know of Costanza it will be from the bust sculpted by Bernini in the 1630s. The slightly parted lips, the rippling hair and the longing eyes have led some to suggest that Costanza was lacking in sexual morality. The bust contrasts to Bernini’s Church commissions which take on an obviously more traditional and reserved tone. Costanza is depicted as passionate and available, red-blooded and real; the qualities for which Bernini became obsessed with Costanza, are the ones he later punishes her for having. Furthermore the ‘indiscretion’ which resulted in Bernini’s brutal and life changing attack on Constanza, may not have been an affair between Costanza and Luigi Bernini (Gian Lorenzo’s brother) but rather rape or sexual assault. It is now well known by Bernini scholars that Luigi raped a young boy in his later life at St Peter’s Basilica and was brought to trial for it. As Blackmore examines, how likely is it that this attitude towards sexual violence manifested only in his later life? When looking at the modern understanding of coercive control and manipulation, Bernini placing the blame at Costanza’s door for his brother’s actions seems sadly inevitable. The mutilating attack on Costanza takes place in 1638. Luigi was attacked with a crowbar before seeking sanctuary, whilst a servant on the orders of Gian Lorenzo slashed the face of Costanza in her own home - leaving Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s mark on her forever and sending her to the monastery of Casa Pia, marked as an adulterer. What happens to Bernini next is shocking, because the answer is, in essence…absolutely nothing. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was fined for his conduct and issued a pardon from Pope Urban VIII due to his upcoming marriage prospects. Bringing the Bernini name into disrepute and preventing Gian Lorenzo from continuing his family name was clearly perceived as a worse outcome than the fate Costanza suffered. Whilst Costanza is so much more than her relationship with Bernini, so much of what we know, which in itself is very little, stems directly from the fame and success of Gian Lorenzo. His violent temperament is often depicted in direct correlation to his artistic success, suggesting that his passion had no limits and whilst that was unfortunate for those who crossed him it was vital to his art. Sarah McPhee’s book Bernini’s Beloved examines Bernini’s obsession with women and the lengths he would go to in order to control them. Was this really just a price to be paid

The catastrophic impact of Gian Lorenzo and Luigi Bernini on Costanza Piccolomini’s life brings into question the extent to which Bernini is culturally forgiven for his actions. When visiting Italy it is hard to explore Rome without gazing upon the incredible work of Bernini and his peers. It only takes a quick internet search to find ‘Bernini Guide to Rome’ or walking tours of the city focused around the Bernini works available to see in the city’s churches. Whilst his skill cannot be denied, it is important to consider the feeling that the Bernini brothers let Costanza’s well run dry in order to fill their own. That somehow by feeding off her and exerting control over her, it fed their artistic skill and thus their sculpture. Costanza’s albeit still largely unknown legacy as a muse attempts to excuse the violence and emotional manipulation she endured as the art produced as a result of her relationship with Bernini is somehow redeeming. This means to an end approach to the Art versus Artist argument rings true of those who have suggested that Artemisia Gentilleschi produced her best work after she was raped by Agostino Tassi in 1611. Records show that Costanza was later reunited with her husband Matteo and rebuilt her life as an art dealer, amassing a vast and rich collection. The question remains however as to whether she was sought out by customers and fellow dealers simply because of her collection, or whether it was to see Bernini’s marked lover in the flesh. Even in this second chance at happiness, did Bernini still hold control over her and bring fascinated clients to her door? I do hope not.