Constanta d'Avalos ( 1460 - c. 1541 ) - Italian seigneur from the house of d'Avalos , Countess of Acherra from 1477, Princess di Francavilla.
Biography
Daughter of Iñigo I d'Avalos, Count of Monteodorizio, and Antonella d'Aquino. In 1477 she married Federigo del Balzo (d. 1483), Count of Acherra, son and heir to Pirro del Balzo , Duke of Andria. There were no children in this marriage. Constanza inherited the county of Acherra from her husband.
In 1501, the brother of Constanta Inigo II d'Avalos received from the King Federigo II of Naples the Duchy of Francavill . Constanza moved to Ischia with him. Inigo died in 1503 during the war with the French , and Constanta led the defense of the island, blocked by a fleet of 40 galleys. After four months of struggle, the French were forced to lift the siege. The victory made Constance one of the most famous women of his time. Italian poets sang its prowess in their poems. In 1516, Charles V , having confirmed the possession of Montescalozo for Constance, specially noted her merits in the service of the former kings of Naples and the defense of Ischia.
In subsequent years, she was engaged in the education of nephews: Alfonso d'Avalos , son of Inigo II, who later became the governor of Milan, and Vittoria Colonna , whose formation of literary taste had a significant impact.
Died about 1541, after receiving the title of Princess Francavilla.
Constanza was called among the possible models of the Mona Lisa (based on the lines of the sonnet of Enea Arpino [1] ).