Un prete e una suora, una storia d’amore e un bambino!
A priest and a nun, a love story, and a baby!
Ci sono molti amanti famosi nella storia, ma pochi sono affascinanti quanto Fra Filippo Lippi e Lucrezia Buti—lui monaco, lei suora!
There are many famous lovers in history, but few are as captivating as Fra Filippo Lippi and Lucrezia Buti—he a monk, she a nun!
Le storie d’amore proibite sono numerose, ma la relazione tra Fra Filippo e Lucrezia supera quelle di Brad e Angelina o Madonna e Guy Ritchie. I nostri protagonisti erano legati alla Chiesa—lui monaco carmelitano, lei novizia al convento di Santa Margherita di Prato.
Scandalous love stories abound, but the affair between Fra Filippo and Lucrezia surpasses those of Brad and Angelina or Madonna and Guy Ritchie. Our protagonists were bound to the Church—he a Carmelite monk, she a novice at the convent of Santa Margherita di Prato.
Un artista di talento sotto la protezione dei Medici
A talented artist under the protection of the Medici.
Oltre ad essere un monaco, Fra Filippo era un celebre pittore del Quattrocento, protetto dai Medici di Firenze. La sua abilità gli permise di ricevere commissioni anche dal Re di Napoli. Tra i suoi studenti più illustri c’era Sandro Botticelli.
In addition to being a monk, Fra Filippo was a celebrated 15th-century painter supported by the Medici of Florence. His talent earned him commissions even from the King of Naples. Among his most notable students was Sandro Botticelli.
Nelle eleganti linee della figura di Salomè, dipinta nella Cattedrale di Prato, si intravede lo stile delicato e allungato che influenzò Botticelli.
In the elegant lines of Salome, painted in the Cathedral of Prato, you can glimpse the elongated and delicate style that influenced Botticelli.
Un monaco dai voti… discutibili
A monk with… questionable vows.
Secondo Vasari, il primo storico dell’arte a documentare la vita dei pittori italiani, Fra Filippo non prendeva molto sul serio i suoi voti ed era noto per la sua predilezione per le belle giovani.
According to Vasari, the first art historian to document the lives of Italian painters, Fra Filippo didn’t take his vows very seriously and was known for his fondness for beautiful young women.
Vasari, nelle sue Vite dei più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori, racconta che nel 1456 Fra Filippo, mentre lavorava a Prato, si intratteneva spesso con giovani donne, vivendo innumerevoli avventure amorose. Ma fu una giovane particolarmente affascinante a conquistare il suo cuore.
Vasari, in his Lives of the Artists, records that in 1456, while working in Prato, Fra Filippo frequently kept the company of young women, indulging in countless romantic adventures. But it was one particularly comely young woman who captured his heart.
L’incontro con Lucrezia Buti
Meeting Lucrezia Buti
Fu a Prato, mentre lavorava agli affreschi per la chiesa di S. Margherita, che Fra Filippo incontrò Lucrezia Buti, la bellissima figlia di Francesco Buti, mercante di seta fiorentino. Rimasta orfana, Lucrezia fu mandata a Prato sotto la protezione delle suore di Santa Margherita.
It was in Prato, while working on frescoes for the church of S. Margherita, that Fra Filippo met Lucrezia Buti, the beautiful daughter of Francesco Buti, a Florentine silk merchant. Orphaned, Lucrezia was sent to Prato under the care of the Sisters of Santa Margherita.
La musa perfetta
The Perfect muse
La prima volta che Fra Filippo vide Lucrezia, pensò che il suo viso fosse perfetto e decise subito che sarebbe stata la modella ideale per la Madonna nel suo altare. Chiese alle suore il permesso di far posare Lucrezia nel suo studio.
The first time Fra Filippo saw Lucrezia, he thought her face was perfect and immediately decided she would be the ideal model for the Madonna in his altarpiece. He requested permission from the sisters to have Lucrezia sit for him in his studio.
Una relazione scandalosa
A Scandolous Relationship
Da qui, le cose iniziarono a diventare interessanti. Non è chiaro se Fra Filippo rapì Lucrezia durante il festival della Sacra Cintola di Prato o se lei rimase volontariamente con lui. Secondo la leggenda, ebbero una relazione e le suore non riuscirono a riportare Lucrezia al convento per diverse settimane.
From this point, things became interesting. It’s unclear whether Fra Filippo kidnapped Lucrezia during Prato’s Sacra Cintola festival or if she stayed with him of her own accord. According to legend, they had a relationship, and the sisters were unable to retrieve Lucrezia for several weeks.
Dalla loro relazione nacque un figlio, Filippino Lippi, che divenne un pittore quasi famoso quanto suo padre. La coppia rimase insieme, e grazie all’intercessione di Cosimo de’ Medici, Papa Pio II concesse a Fra Filippo un’esenzione per sposare Lucrezia.
From their affair came a son, Filippino Lippi, who became a painter nearly as famous as his father. The couple stayed together, and thanks to the intervention of Cosimo de’ Medici, Pope Pius II granted Fra Filippo an exemption to marry Lucrezia.
Gossip o verità?
Si dice che Filippo fu avvelenato prima di sposarsi, ma è improbabile. Ebbero una figlia, ma Filippo continuò le sue relazioni e alla fine si separarono. Dopo la sua morte, Lorenzo il Magnifico fece erigere un monumento a Spoleto.
Filippo was rumored to have been poisoned before marrying, but this seems unlikely. The couple had a daughter, though Filippo’s affairs continued, leading them to live apart. After his death, Lorenzo the Magnificent commissioned a monument in Spoleto to honor him.
La storia di Vasari potrebbe essere solo pettegolezzo, scritta anni dopo e abbellita.
Vasari’s tale might be mere gossip, written years later and likely embellished.
In the first draft of my novel Dreaming Sophia,
I wrote a dialogue between Sophia and Fra Filippo’s Madonna.
Though it didn’t make the final cut, here’s the excerpt for you to enjoy!
Sophia flipped a page in her sketchbook as she strolled through the Uffizi Gallery, listening to the stories whispered by the paintings. Around her floated the serene faces of Madonnas painted by Cimabue, Simone Martini, Giotto, and Michelangelo.
When she approached one particularly enchanting Madonna by Fra Filippo Lippi, she paused, captivated by the delicate curve of the Virgin’s profile as she cooed softly to her child. But the tender moment was interrupted by a tiny yelp—the chubby angel beside her had stepped on her toe. The baby began to cry, prompting the Madonna to scold the cherub before soothing her child with a gentle ninna nanna.
Noticing Sophia watching, the Madonna smiled and beckoned her closer. “Oh, thank heavens you stopped by, Sophia! It’s such a relief to talk to an adult for a change. Sitting here all day with these three can drive a mother mad. Would you like to hear a saucy little story?”
Sophia glanced around for any nearby museum guards, then stepped closer, her curiosity piqued. How could she resist gossip from the Virgin herself?
Leaning in conspiratorially, the Madonna whispered, “Did you know the man who painted me was a Carmelite monk? But let me tell you, he was far more devoted to a certain fair-haired nun named Lucrezia Buti than to his religious vows. Can you imagine?”
“Scandalous,” Sophia murmured, sketching the elegant curve of the Virgin’s neck while trying to contain a smile.
The Madonna grinned, pleased by her reaction. “Oh, indeed! Unlike Botticelli’s Simonetta, who maintained some modesty, Lucrezia was ready to throw caution—and her habit—to the wind from the moment she met Filippo. Those two carried on their passionate affair under the noses of all the other nuns and monks. And let me tell you, it wasn’t exactly subtle. Everyone knew!”
Adjusting the baby on her shoulder and patting his back until he burped, the Madonna continued, “When the church elders found out—oh, Santo Cielo! What a scandal! They renounced their vows and, rather than a saintly life, they married instead.”
“Did they have a happy marriage?” Sophia asked, intrigued.
“Well,” the Madonna said, handing the baby to an angel and retucking her headdress, “despite what people say, I believe they did. They had two lovely children, a boy and a girl. Their son, Filippino, grew up to be a brilliant painter, just like his father.”
She sighed wistfully. “In the end, I suppose they truly loved each other. And, honestly, I owe my beauty to that naughty Lucrezia Buti. They say I’m the spitting image of her. Imagine that! This innocent, virginal face is really hers.” The Madonna leaned closer, raising a hand to shield her words from the angels. “A proper nun gone rogue!”
With a wink, she turned back to her child, leaving Sophia to marvel at the stories that paintings could tell.
Read the novel that was inspired by Sophia Loren!
Dreaming Sophia
Dreaming Sophia is a magical look into Italy, language, art, and culture. It is a story about turning dreams into reality and learning to walk the fine line between fact and fantasy. When tragedy strikes, Sophia finds herself alone in the world, without direction and fearful of loving again. With only her vivid imagination to guide her, she begins a journey that will take her from the vineyards in Sonoma, California to a grad school in Philadelphia and, eventually, to Italy: Florence, Lucca, Rome, Verona, Venice, and Val d’Orcia. Through dreamlike encounters, Sophia meets Italian personalities—princes, poets, duchesses, artists, and film stars— who give her advice to help put her life back together. Following a path that takes her from grief to joy, she discovers the source of her creativity and learns to love again, turning her dreams into reality.
Vasari’s Lives of the Artists in the church of Santa Magherita in Prato.
