(1546–91). Venetian poet and high-ranking courtesan , famous in her day for her intellectual and artistic accomplishments. She was eagerly sought by noblemen and royalty, painted by Tintoretto , and visited by Henry III of France. Married to a doctor but, despite this, uninhibited concerning her profession, she wrote letters and poems to various men of letters, including Domenico Venier , who emended her poems (all in terza rima) for her prior to their publication in 1575. Her verse is essentially Petrarchist in style, but shows an untypically independent spirit. She frequently plays the dominant part in amorous discourse, and distinguishes between emotional involvement and sexual availability, describing the pleasures of physical love in ways that transcend Petrarchist conventions. Her belief in the importance of education led her to profess openly a preference for literary personalities. She stressed her own erudition when slighted and defended her ability to make use of different poetic registers. She was indicted by the Inquisition in 1580 and, on being declared innocent, devoted the remainder of her life to penitence and good works.
The Oxford Companion to Italian Literature. © 2002
Oxford University Press.
All rights reserved.
