, a late celebrated improvisatrice, was born at Pistoia in 1740,
, a late
celebrated improvisatrice, was born at Pistoia in 1740, and
gave, in her infancy, the most unequivocal marks of uncommon genius; and her acquirements in natural and
moral philosophy, and ancient and modern history, were
at the age of seventeen very remarkable. At the age of
twenty she began to display that talent for extempore composition which is so common in Italy, and so uncommon
elsewhere as to be questioned. Of this lady’s abilities,
however, we are not permitted to doubt, if we give any
credit to the popularity she gained among all classes, and
especially among persons of the highest rank. The empress Maria Theresa offered her the place of female poet
laureat at court, which she accepted, And went to Vienna
in 1765. Previously to this she had married signer Morelli, a gentleman of Leghorn; but her conduct after marriage became grossly licentious, a circumstance which
does not appear to have diminished the respect paid to her
by all ranks. At Vienna, she wrote an epic poem and a
volume of lyric poetry, both which she dedicated to the
empress. She attracted the enthusiastic admiration of Metastasio himself, and rendered the taste for Italian poetry
more predominant than it had ever been in Vienna. Soon
after 1771, she settled in Rome, was admitted a member
of the academy of the Arcadi, under the name of Gorilla
Olympica, and for some years continued to charm the inhabitants of Rome by her talents in improvisation. At
length when Pius VI. became pope, he determined that
she should be solemnly crowned, an honour which had
been granted to Petrarch only. An account of this singular transaction, beautifully printed at Parma, by Bodoni,
in 1779, contains her diploma and all the discourses,
poems, sonnets, &c. written on the occasion, with the examination which she underwent, concerning her knowledge
of the most important subjects upon which she was required
to Improvisare, or treat extemporaneously, in verse publicly at the Campidoglio in Rome. The Italian title of this
narrative is, “Atti della solenne coronazione fatta in Campidoglio della insigne poetesia D-na. Maria Maddalena
Morelli Fernandez Pistoiese, Tragli Arcadi Gorilla Olimpica.
” Twelve members of the Arcadian academy were
selected out of thirty, publicly to examine this new edition
of a Tenth Muse which has been so often dedicated to
ladies of poetical and literary talents. Three several days
were allotted for this public exhibition of poetical powers
on the following subjects: sacred history, revealed religion,
moral philosophy, natural history, metaphysics, epic poetry,
legislation, eloquence, mythology, fine arts, and pastoral
poetry.