Lecture 13 May 2026 Renaissance Cassoni - Wedding chests and the art of Marriage in 15th Century Florence

April showers in the middle of May followed by a hailstorm was no deterrence for the faithful members of the Arts Society Horsham attending the May lecture at the Brighton Road Baptist Church. And we were not disappointed as we were beguiled to beautiful 15th century Florence!

Our lecturer Anna Warrillow guided us on a fascinating study into the importance of marriage in 15th century Florence, in particular, the exquisite art of the wedding chests, known as cassone. Marriage was regarded as the cornerstone of Florentine society — set to shore up dynastic and economic unions. Therefore, the rituals of the ceremony, the richly decorated cassoni containing the bride’s trousseau and the lavish wedding feast are all important ostentations of wealth and well-matched unions.

The life of the bride begins at her birth when the family starts investing and stock piling the luxury goods such as silk and velvet fabrics, jewellery, ivory and clothing that will form her eventual dowry. It would be an arranged marriage to seal the alliance of two wealthy families, usually for political and economic stability. In fact, at the contractual handshake ceremony — impalmodella — between the two families, the bride would not even be present for it was a highly patriarchal society.

The actual wedding ceremony would be an elaborate affair lasting for some days. After the banquet, the procession of the bride with her cassoni containing her trousseau would take place through the city streets for all to admire. Under the expert guide of our lecturer, we took an intimate look at the exquisite art and craftsmanship of the cassone, often depicting ancient Greek and Roman mythology as well as Biblical scenes, to symbolise the desired virtues of fertility, chivalry and female submissiveness! The intricate and beautiful panels of the cassone often feature the work of contemporary artists such as Botticelli, but the production of the cassone in well established workshops would have involved other craftsmen — carpenters, gilders to create. These meticulously detailed illustrations also provide a glimpse into contemporary Florentine fashion — hats, shoes and garments and the luxury materials of gold, silver and silk imported from Islamic Middle East.

Society weddings of the day would have been even more lavish and opulent such as the union of Francesco de Medici and Bianca Capello where the wedding feast featured fifty courses with sugar, a rare and expensive commodity, included on the menu! For one Paola Gonzaga, her wedding procession featured 13 sets of cassone! So imagine a passer-by in 15th Century Florence witnessing the procession of a society wedding — the magnificent chests, like the beautifully adorned bride, being paraded through the city streets for all to see — one can only guess at the luxurious contents contained within!! 

Rowena Kerr
Lectures Secretary