Ilaria del Carretto

In the Cathedral of St. Martino one can admire the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, Paolo Guinigi’s second wife who died while giving birth to her daughter. The noblewoman, renowned for her beauty, belonged to the rich family of the Marquess Carlo del Carretto, powerful Lord of the Finale.

This impressive work was done by Jacopo della Quercia, two or three years following the woman’s death in 1405.

It is a full-length effigy of this beautiful noblewoman. She lies upon her tomb, her head on a pillow, her face, is of a fire texture due also to the marble, which gives off a brilliance and transparency similar to alabaster, her hair is braided according to the fashion of the time. A dog sits at her feet, symbol of fidelity. The whole tomb is encircled by chubby, quaint little putti who are holding festoons of flowers and fruit intertwined. The face is very smooth while the nose is ruined owing to a custom which says that good luck will come to whoever touches it. The tomb was restored to its original beauty in 1980.