Pituitary Tumour Apoplexy as Cause of Death of Simonetta Vespucci, the Venus by Botticelli.
Nardelli D et al. · Jul 1, 2026
Introduction Simonetta Vespucci is the model for the world-renowned Venus painted by Sandro Botticelli at the end of the XV Century. Her unexpected death at the age of 23 remained a mystery for more than 500 years, until we proposed in 2019 that she probably suffered from a pituitary adenoma. Methods We now hypothesize with further evidence from historical descriptions of her last days that an expansion of the adenoma was the cause of her premature death, aged twenty-three. Results Our hypothesis is supported by three elements: (1) tumour characteristics; (2) symptoms presented during her last days; and (3) the historical records of two potential precipitating events. Conclusions We conclude that Simonetta Vespucci, the Venus by Botticelli, died as a consequence of a rapidly expanding pituitary adenoma causing tumour apoplexy, thereby making this endocrine emergency the likeliest cause of her death.