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Rime
Rime
134 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1995
15 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Franco
31 books48 followersVeronica Franco (1546–1591) was an Italian poet and courtesan in 16th century Venice.
Life as a courtesan
Renaissance Venetian society recognized two different classes of courtesans: the cortigiana onesta, the intellectual courtesan, and the cortigiana di lume, lower-class courtesans (closer kin to prostitutes today) who tended to live and practice their trade near the Rialto Bridge. Veronica Franco was perhaps the most celebrated member of the former category, although Franco was hardly the only onesta in 16th-century Venice who could boast of a fine education and considerable literary and artistic accomplishments.
The daughter of another cortigiana onesta, Franco learned the art at a young age from her mother and was trained to use her natural assets and abilities to achieve a financially beneficial marriage. While still in her teens, Franco married a wealthy physician, but the union ended badly. In order to support herself, Franco turned to serving as a cortigiana to wealthy men. She quickly rose through the ranks to consort with some of the leading notables of her day and even had a brief liaison with Henry III, King of France. Franco was listed as one of the foremost courtesans of Venice in Il Catalogo di tutte le principale et piu honorate cortigiane di Venezia.
A well-educated woman, Veronica Franco wrote two volumes of poetry: Terze rime in 1575 and Lettere familiari a diversi in 1580. She published books of letters and collected the works of other leading writers into anthologies. Successful in her two lines of work, Franco also founded a charity for courtesans and their children.
Life as a courtesan
Renaissance Venetian society recognized two different classes of courtesans: the cortigiana onesta, the intellectual courtesan, and the cortigiana di lume, lower-class courtesans (closer kin to prostitutes today) who tended to live and practice their trade near the Rialto Bridge. Veronica Franco was perhaps the most celebrated member of the former category, although Franco was hardly the only onesta in 16th-century Venice who could boast of a fine education and considerable literary and artistic accomplishments.
The daughter of another cortigiana onesta, Franco learned the art at a young age from her mother and was trained to use her natural assets and abilities to achieve a financially beneficial marriage. While still in her teens, Franco married a wealthy physician, but the union ended badly. In order to support herself, Franco turned to serving as a cortigiana to wealthy men. She quickly rose through the ranks to consort with some of the leading notables of her day and even had a brief liaison with Henry III, King of France. Franco was listed as one of the foremost courtesans of Venice in Il Catalogo di tutte le principale et piu honorate cortigiane di Venezia.
A well-educated woman, Veronica Franco wrote two volumes of poetry: Terze rime in 1575 and Lettere familiari a diversi in 1580. She published books of letters and collected the works of other leading writers into anthologies. Successful in her two lines of work, Franco also founded a charity for courtesans and their children.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 10, 2018
Rima XV vv. 46-60
"Corpo dal pianto e dal dolor distrutto,
ne l'allegrezza senza sentimento,
rimasta son del languir preda in tutto:
quinci 'l passo impedito, e non pur lento,
ebbi a venir in quelle vostre stanze,
secondo 'l mio dovere e 'l mio talento,
peroché i membri avea senza possanza,
priva d'alma; e se in me di lei punto era,
dietro 'l mio ben n'andava per usanza.
Così passava il dì fino a la sera,
e le notti più lunghe eran di quelle
ch'ad Alcmena Giunone fer provar fiera:
sovra le piume al mio posar rubelle,
non ritrovando requie nel martìre
d'Amor, di lui doleami, e de le stelle."
Rima XXV vv. 67-78
"Quasi per gradi su di mano in mano
di fuor s'accende 'l poggio da le spalle,
sempre al salir più facile e più piano;
quinci in giù per soave e destro calle
s'arriva a la pianura in pochi passi,
ch'è posta in forma di rotonda valle:
se non che in guisa rilevata stassi,
ch'è quasi, entro a quei colli, un minor colle,
che 'ntorno a lor si dispiani e s'abbassi,
sì che d'entrarvi a Febo non si tolle,
poco alzatosi, fuor de l'oriente,
nel prato d'erbe rugiadoso e molle."
"Corpo dal pianto e dal dolor distrutto,
ne l'allegrezza senza sentimento,
rimasta son del languir preda in tutto:
quinci 'l passo impedito, e non pur lento,
ebbi a venir in quelle vostre stanze,
secondo 'l mio dovere e 'l mio talento,
peroché i membri avea senza possanza,
priva d'alma; e se in me di lei punto era,
dietro 'l mio ben n'andava per usanza.
Così passava il dì fino a la sera,
e le notti più lunghe eran di quelle
ch'ad Alcmena Giunone fer provar fiera:
sovra le piume al mio posar rubelle,
non ritrovando requie nel martìre
d'Amor, di lui doleami, e de le stelle."
Rima XXV vv. 67-78
"Quasi per gradi su di mano in mano
di fuor s'accende 'l poggio da le spalle,
sempre al salir più facile e più piano;
quinci in giù per soave e destro calle
s'arriva a la pianura in pochi passi,
ch'è posta in forma di rotonda valle:
se non che in guisa rilevata stassi,
ch'è quasi, entro a quei colli, un minor colle,
che 'ntorno a lor si dispiani e s'abbassi,
sì che d'entrarvi a Febo non si tolle,
poco alzatosi, fuor de l'oriente,
nel prato d'erbe rugiadoso e molle."
Displaying 1 of 1 review