Author or Merely Courtesan?

     Tullia d’Aragona led the life of a courtesan, yet also wrote prolifically during her free time. She moved extensively during her life throughout the Italian peninsula and even spent time in the company of Filippo Strozzi. The readings from class mention the important Strozzi family, so Tullia obviously kept company with those in power. During her time in Siena, she ended up fleeing the city-state for Florence due to political uprisings. Upon arrival in Florence, she sought refuge in Cosimo the first’s court. This is especially interesting because she like many artists moved fluidly through the powerful families of various city-states, even though these families held much angst against one another. By the later part of her life, Tullia returns to Rome where she lived until her death in 1556. Yet even in death, Tullia offered up more of her work.

     Tullia’s work centered on poetry, specifically her own writings or those wrote for her. In Rime della Signora Tullia di Aragona e di diversi a lei, Tullia offers examples of her own poetry, and has space for poetry written to her. Some of those who either received her poems or wrote to her include, Giulio Camillo, Ludovico Martelli, Benedetto Arrighi, Cosimo I de Medici, Maria Salviati de Medici, and Cardinal Ippolito de Medici. The interesting aspect of this book is how many of the Medici family she wrote to or received poems from it shows her popularity with the influential families. Although her last work, published posthumously arguable is the most well known. Il Meschino, altramente detto il Guerrino tells the story of a noble son captured and sold into slavery. The plot tells of his adventures to find his parents, his search is exhaustive, including Europe, Asia, and even the likes of Purgatory and the Inferno. While Tullia wrote beautiful and detailed poetry because she was a woman living in Renaissance Italy she did not always receive the appropriate credit for her works. She also faced tension from the male authors of the period, due to her being a woman and a courtesan at that. Here is a direct link to two of her sonnets, they begin on page 156, it has both the Italian and the translated version: http://www.academia.edu/2041009/Tullia_dAragona_Two_New_Sonnets.

-Jenn Kervian

Source:

http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/efts/IWW/BIOS/A0004.html