At The Apogee of Her Career: The Duchess of Osuna in Naples.

Although contemporary chroniclers and courtiers were acutely aware of her presence and influence, many modern political historians of the seventeenth century and biographers of Pedro Téllez-Girón, the Third Duke of Osuna, have largely ignored the activities of his wife, Catalina Enríquez de Ribera. Indeed, even some of Osuna's recent biographers have assumed that there is little to know about her. In spite of this lack of attention, the duchess played a number of critical roles throughout the years of her marriage, including during the late 1610s when she and don Pedro were the Viceroys of Naples. This article discusses doña Catalina's patronage, her use of court festivities to build networks, and her involvement in other activities during the time she spent in Spanish Naples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]