, an Italian poetess, was born April 15, 1703, and appeared from
, an Italian poetess, was born
April 15, 1703, and appeared from her infancy capable of
making a figure in the literary world. Her father, although
of a genteel family of Piedmont, was ruined by various misfortunes, and at length setup a shoemaker’s shop in Venice,
where he acquired some property. His daughter Louisa,
one of a numerous family, discovered first a taste for embroidery, then for drawing and painting, in which she was
instructed by the celebrated female artist Rosalba Camera;
nor did she make less progress in literature, philosophy,
and languages. She learned French of her father, and
Latin under an excellent master, and in the course of this
study she translated some of the comedies of Terence.
Having conceived a particular taste for dramatic poetry,
she received some instructions from Apostolo Zeno. As
soon as her talents were known, places both lucrative and
honourable were offei'ed to her at Rome, Poland, Spain, and
Milan, but she would not quit Venice, her native country, and
continued her studies until the age of thirty-five, when she
married count Gaspard Gozzi, a noble Venetian, known in
the literary world for his Italian dramas and other works.
She lived with him very happily, and bore five children,
whom she educated with great care. The time of her
death is not mentioned. Her principal works are, 1. “Agide re di Sparta,
” a musical drama, Venice, LaTeba,
” a tragedy, ibid. L'Elenia,
” musical drama, ibid. Le
Avventure del poeta,
” comedy, ibid. 1730, 8vo. 5. “Elettra,
”
tragedy, ibid. La Bradamante,
” musical drama, ibid. Le Commedie di Terenzio tradotto in versi sciolti,
” ibid. Componimenti poetici dc-lle piu illustri rimatrici d'ogni secolo,
” ibid.
, an Italian poetess, born in 1485, was the daughter of the count
, an Italian poetess, born in 1485, was the daughter of the count John Francis Gambara, and was married in 1509 to Giberto X. lord of Correggio, whom she survived many years. Her natural disposition, the course of her education, and, above all perhaps, the instructions and advice of Peter Bembus, led her in her youth to devote a part of her leisure to the cultivation of her poetical talents, which through all the vicissitudes of her future life, was her occasional amusement. In 1528 she went to reside at Bologna, with a brother who was governor of that city, where she established a kind of academy that vras frequented by many of the literati, who then resided at the Roman court. On her return to Correggio, she had the honour of receiving as her guest the emperor Charles V. She died in 1550. Her writings which had been dispersed in various collections of the time, were corrected and published by Zamboni in 1759, Brescia, 8vo, with a life of the authoress. They display a peculiar originality and vivacity, both in sentiment and language, which raise them far above those insipid effusions, which under the name of sonnets at that time inundated Italy.