The Renaissance period which lasted from the 14th century to the 16th century in Italy was known as an era of cultural rebirth and gave way to the introduction to humanist thought while the Middle Ages L 'Europe transformed into early modern Europe. The beliefs of humanism were the values ​​that emphasized the action of a human being and emphasized rationalism over faith. Renaissance humanists tended to have great power in society and were closely scrutinized by later historians for being too ambiguous in their beliefs. One of them, Joan Kelly, hypothesized that women were not given fair opportunities to grow intellectually while men experienced an awakening and did not prosper. The famous life of a Renaissance woman, Beatrice d'Este, disproves Kelly's controversial theory. D'Este was born in 1475 into the House of Este, which was in control of Ferrara, Italy, from the 13th to the 16th centuries. D'Este's life demonstrated that the education, wealth, and marriage to a powerful man she had access to led to a period of personal growth as a patron and political figure similar to her famous sister, Isabella d'Este , and to male counterparts, such as her husband, Ludovico Sforza. Although her political and social successes in the Renaissance world give reason to refute Joan Kelly's arguments, there were limits to her triumphs; the successes and powers of her family and husband limited how she lived her life. The dynasty of the House of Este began in the 13th century when Obizzo II became lord of Ferrara. He overcame his differences with the papacy and gained power, managed to maintain leadership within the House, and, ultimately, his ancestors expanded their control over the papacy through Pope Paul II. Beatrice d'Este's father, Ercole...... in the center of the card ......with prejudices towards women. Primary sources exist in the form of letters to and from Beatrice d'Este and family members. Patterson Meyer, Edith. The First Lady of the Renaissance: A Biography of Isabella d'Este. Boston: Little, Brown, 1970. A biography of Isabella d'Este, Beatrice's older sister. His interactions with the Pope are described in detail. Furthermore, Beatrice is described as lively and her relationship with Isabella is depicted as a political entity that could serve both cities well. I will use this statement as support for the fact that family came second and politics came first, as the most important thing was the family name. It will also help with my argument that the d'Este parents focused more on Isabella than Beatrice because Beatrice's future was described as "problematic" while Isabella's was "happy." Includes primary sources such as letters to Ludovico Sforza.