Troilo Orsini information

Troilo Orsini was an Italian nobleman belonging to the illustrious House of Orsini. He is known for his service as a Florentine ambassador between 1568 and 1574, as well as his alleged relationship with Princess Isabella de' Medici.

He is remembered for his polite demeanour, good looks, and his ability to enliven social gatherings with conversation and music, which likely played a significant role in his diplomatic success.^[1] "He was a man who was elegant in all his endeavours, extremely handsome, a great entertainer, a true courtier, the friend of all the ladies and gentlemen" - wrote a contemporary of Troilo.^[2]

As a young man, Troilo came to Florence as part of his cousin, Paolo Giordano Orsini's retinue, and stayed in the Medici court to safeguard the honour of Princess Isabella de' Medici, Paolo Giordano's young wife who remained in Florence while Paolo Giordano returned to Rome. Possibly due to Isabella's influence on her father, Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, and Troilo's own family ties to the Medici, the young Orsini served as a Florentine ambassador for a decade, advancing Medici interests in the royal courts of Europe.

Following the death of Cosimo I, Troilo fell out with the new Grand Duke Francesco de' Medici and fled to the court of Queen Mother Catherine de' Medici in Paris. In 1575 he became gentleman of the King's chamber, serving King Henry III.

On the 30th of November 1577, he was shot in Saint-Germain-des-Pres on the orders of Francesco de Medici, and succumbed to his injuries two days later.

Orsini is depicted in a painting by Anastasio Fontebuoni titled 'Troilo Orsini is received by Queen Mother Catherine de' Medici and King Charles IX', commissioned by Marie de' Medici in 1620 for the Luxembourg Palace in Paris and as part of a series of paintings intended to celebrate the glory of the Medici family and the royal house of France.