In Florence, Simoneta is considered the most beautiful woman. She has a straight nose, high cheekbones, a swan-like neck and a curly blonde hair that is like the sun wrapped around her hair. She likes to braided her long hair into intricate braids with delicate headdresses like grape leaves.
Simoneta Cataneo came to Tuscany with his parents at the age of 16, where he met Marco Vespucci of Florence, and they soon married. The marriage was beneficial to both parties: the Marco family had good social relations in Florence, especially with the Medici. Marco's cousin and peer Amerigo Vespucci held positions in the Medici Bank, while the beautiful Genoese girl was also introduced to the court.
Simoneta's husband travels a lot, and it doesn't seem like he cares much about his wife. Simoneta's beauty fascinates many men, but Simoneta is always so generous and keeps a suitable distance from men, so that the noble ladies will not feel jealous because of their husband's affection for her. Often present in churches and squares accompanied by servants, this beauty is the most popular guest at all festive celebrations. "It seems inconceivable that not a single woman is jealous of her, and everyone praises her: so many men love her without causing any jealousy, so many women praise her without any malice..." Her contemporary, Angelo Polyciano, once wrote.
On the morning of January 28, 1475, the square near the church of San Croce was crowded, and the painter Sandro Botticelli saw Simoneta, which seemed to be a fated encounter. This is a knightly tournament organized especially for Simoneta's birthday by the brothers Lorenzo, the uncrowned rulers of Florence, and Giuliano Medici. The bloodless jousting and flipping tricks eventually ended with Giuliano's victory, and Simoneta gave him a silver crown. Known as the queen of the game, Simoneta became the goddess in Juliano's heart, and she deserved throughout Florence.
The artist's keen gaze spotted the sadness in the young woman's eyes. Sandro smiled, he didn't like the culture of worshipping goddesses of beauty. He believes that war is war, love is love, and playing with feelings and fighting war are foolish acts. Maybe what she needs is not adoration, but hugs and hot kisses? Sandro has always thought that he understands women very well, he is tall, has thick curly hair, and is the Prince Charming in the hearts of many women. He is a beautiful man who loves life and can understand the heart of every woman, and only one woman's heart is closed to him - that is the beautiful Simoneta. He vowed to become a famous artist, to make Florence proud of him and to give Simoneta a little more look at him.
Sandro Botticelli was very lucky, and an important task was assigned to Sandro Botticelli - to paint the portrait of Simoneta! It was commissioned by the Medici brothers, who believed that the artist could leave the beauty of Simoneta on canvas.
When they met, he was stunned: she walked up to him in a simple black dress; Through the crack in the chest, tiny folds line a shirt woven from delicate yarn, and ancient jewels are wrapped around the neck. Up close, Simoneta appears younger and more delicate. His gaze kept falling on the hollow on her chest, which was encrusted with a gem. Sandro was ashamed of his desires, but after the painting, he noticed that the beautiful woman's cheeks were also reddening. He was extremely excited and looking forward to his next painting assignment.
However, subsequent paintings were postponed: in early April, Simoneta contracted wind chill and began to have a fever. The famous doctor Stefano suspected that she had tuberculosis, so the worried Vespucci family took Simoneta to Piambino by the sea, and Simoneta's mother also came from Genoa to visit her.
The Medici brothers, busy with government work, sent messengers every day to inquire about their condition. In order to know the latest news about the goddess in his heart, Sandro bribed the messenger. However, the high fever does not go away and makes it impossible to cope. On April 20, his condition improved, and doctors assured that the danger had passed and that Simoneta would gradually recover.
But a few days later, on April 26, 1476, Simoneta's relatives wrote to Lorenzo Medici in Florence: "Simoneta's soul has gone to heaven. May she rest in peace! Lorenzo Medici described how he felt after learning of the death of the beautiful Simoneta. After reading the letter, he wrote, he walked into the garden with his closest friends: "It was a night and the two of us were discussing this misfortune. The weather was fine, and as we walked and talked, we suddenly saw a bright star, shining with such an intense glow that it surpassed the other stars and any other light source, and everything appeared dim under its light. I looked at the star, turned back to my friend and said, 'We would not be surprised if this beautiful lady's soul had been transformed into a star, or ascended to heaven to merge with that star.' ’”
All of Florence mourned the loss of Simoneta, except for her husband, who soon remarried and the loss of Simoneta seemed nothing to him. The Medici never held a tournament again. Sandro was locked up in the studio, working from the early morning, not responding to knocks on the door and the search of friends. Sometimes he falls asleep in front of the huge easel. Sandro is bearded, thin and pale, with wrinkles between his brows, but his eyes are still bright, and he wants to inject his feelings for Simoneta into his work so that this love can become eternal.
Sandro Botticelli, while creating his painting Spring, recalled the garden with the blooming cherry blossoms of Tuscany and the sound of the lute, as if he saw his lover smiling at him. He depicted Simoneta several times in later paintings. Although he was not familiar with her during her lifetime, in the works Mars and Venus and The Birth of Venus, she once again comes alive on canvas.
Sandro never married, and he told friends that he didn't want to lose the opportunity to enjoy worldly life because of marriage. He also joked lightly: "Last night I dreamed I was married, and I woke up so sad that I couldn't sleep!" "Sandro Botticelli's will requested a burial at the foot of Simoneta. He died on May 17, 1510, and was buried in a cemetery near the church of St. Anthony. Not far away, in the chapel of the Vespucci family, sleeps Simoneta, who was buried 34 years ago.
Some believe that she was the prototype of the goddess Venus in Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. What the truth is, we can no longer know. But the beautiful story of Simoneta has survived to this day.
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