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Women in Culture and Society
The Honest Courtesan: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice
The Venetian courtesan has long captured the imagination as a female symbol of sexual license, elegance, beauty, and unruliness. What then to make of the cortigiana onesta—the honest courtesan who recast virtue as intellectual integrity and offered wit and refinement in return for patronage and a place in public life? Veronica Franco (1546–1591) was such a woman, a writer and citizen of Venice, whose published poems and familiar letters offer rich testimony to the complexity of the honest courtesan's position.
Margaret F. Rosenthal draws a compelling portrait of Veronica Franco in her cultural, social, and economic world. Rosenthal reveals in Franco's writing a passionate support of defenseless women, strong convictions about inequality, and, in the eroticized language of her epistolary verses, the seductive political nature of all poetic contests. It is Veronica Franco's insight into the power conflicts between men and women—and her awareness of the threat she posed to her male contemporaries—that makes her literary works and her dealings with Venetian intellectuals so pertinent today.
Combining the resources of biography, history, literary theory, and cultural criticism, this sophisticated interdisciplinary work presents an eloquent and often moving account of one woman's life as an act of self-creation and as a complex response to social forces and cultural conditions.
"A book . . . pleasurably redolent of Venice in the 16th-century. Rosenthal gives a vivid sense of a world of salons and coteries, of intricate networks of family and patronage, and of literary exchanges both intellectual and erotic."
—Helen Hackett, Times Higher Education Supplement
The Honest Courtesan is the basis for the film Dangerous Beauty (1998) directed by Marshall Herskovitz. (The film was re-titled The Honest Courtesan for release in the UK and Europe in 1999.)
Margaret F. Rosenthal draws a compelling portrait of Veronica Franco in her cultural, social, and economic world. Rosenthal reveals in Franco's writing a passionate support of defenseless women, strong convictions about inequality, and, in the eroticized language of her epistolary verses, the seductive political nature of all poetic contests. It is Veronica Franco's insight into the power conflicts between men and women—and her awareness of the threat she posed to her male contemporaries—that makes her literary works and her dealings with Venetian intellectuals so pertinent today.
Combining the resources of biography, history, literary theory, and cultural criticism, this sophisticated interdisciplinary work presents an eloquent and often moving account of one woman's life as an act of self-creation and as a complex response to social forces and cultural conditions.
"A book . . . pleasurably redolent of Venice in the 16th-century. Rosenthal gives a vivid sense of a world of salons and coteries, of intricate networks of family and patronage, and of literary exchanges both intellectual and erotic."
—Helen Hackett, Times Higher Education Supplement
The Honest Courtesan is the basis for the film Dangerous Beauty (1998) directed by Marshall Herskovitz. (The film was re-titled The Honest Courtesan for release in the UK and Europe in 1999.)
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 18, 2018
Veronica Franco, beautiful Venetian courtesan and accomplished poet, may be best known as Catherine McCormack's character in the film Dangerous Beauty. However, the real woman was far more provocative, challenging and engaging than anything the film could imagine.
Rosenthal takes a wide view and places Franco within her historical, cultural, literary and economic milieu with breathless ease and fine judgement. Not a biography, although it does include biographical elements (such as they can be retrieved), not a book of literary criticism, not a history book, it combines elements of all these to give us a three-dimensional view not just of Franco but of the possibility for Venetian women to subvert the rules and pressures of Venetian patriarchy.
Although this does contain examples of Franco's writings, it would be best read alongside the collection edited by Rosenthal: Poems and Selected Letters (Other Voice in Early Modern Europe).
Franco is a fascinating woman, and Rosenthal does a fine job of making her accessible to a non-Italian speaking audience.
Rosenthal takes a wide view and places Franco within her historical, cultural, literary and economic milieu with breathless ease and fine judgement. Not a biography, although it does include biographical elements (such as they can be retrieved), not a book of literary criticism, not a history book, it combines elements of all these to give us a three-dimensional view not just of Franco but of the possibility for Venetian women to subvert the rules and pressures of Venetian patriarchy.
Although this does contain examples of Franco's writings, it would be best read alongside the collection edited by Rosenthal: Poems and Selected Letters (Other Voice in Early Modern Europe).
Franco is a fascinating woman, and Rosenthal does a fine job of making her accessible to a non-Italian speaking audience.
March 22, 2009
I like reading anything that supports empowering women in difficult scenarios. Rosenthal tracks the life of Veronica Franco (portrayed in pop-culture in the movie Dangerous Beauty). Franco born into an economically struggling family, her mother worked as a prostitute/courtesan, and trains her daughter in the trade. While this sounds horrific, you really have to understand that during the Renaissance women were severely limited in education, role (mother or nun), and intellectual capacity (Aristotle basically convinced the male population that women had smaller brains and were useless at education beyond arts, crafts, and morality). To be a courtesan opened doors intellectually (Franco published two books), publically (courtesans had access to the intellectual and political milieu's unavailable to those stay at home mom's), and verbally (silence was not a necessity). Franco marketed herself successfully, educated herself through private tutors and later in the literary salons of Domenico Venier. Her literary skills garnered the attention of the Republic who hired her to entertain Henri III of France while he was on a pitstop in Venice before assuming the French throne. Her life was lived in wealth, agency, and with a sense of identity.
However, she was of course hated by all citizens openly.
Aye, there's the rub.
and...after the plague swept through in the late 16th century denounced with other luxuries that sent God's plague upon the Venetians. She was a pariah, excommunicated, tried in the Inquisition on charges of witchcraft, routinely abused in print, and generally left to fend for herself in a hostile environment.
She died poor, but at least she lived better than most Renaissance women for a time.
However, she was of course hated by all citizens openly.
Aye, there's the rub.
and...after the plague swept through in the late 16th century denounced with other luxuries that sent God's plague upon the Venetians. She was a pariah, excommunicated, tried in the Inquisition on charges of witchcraft, routinely abused in print, and generally left to fend for herself in a hostile environment.
She died poor, but at least she lived better than most Renaissance women for a time.
February 9, 2015
This book was utterly dry and kind of a chore to read. I am a fan of nonfiction, but that doesn't mean it has to feel like you're reading a dispassionate, technical description of everything about the topic. I didn't like the overly scholarly language, I didn't like the way that quotes were introduced repetitively, and I didn't like the huge chunks of Italian right in the text. If I were bilingual in Italian, it wouldn't have bugged me, but seeing as I know about ten words in Italian, it made me just have to completely skip over huge amounts of text to get to the English translation. Such things would have done better in the back of the monograph.
The subject matter seemed interesting, but I never go very involved in Franco's life even though there were references to her poems and letters. I never connected with her as a real person instead of a historical figure. I blame this entirely on the author's presentation and not anything wrong with Franco herself.
So, I'm interested in the topic and did learn a few things, but really this book could have been written more accessibly.
The subject matter seemed interesting, but I never go very involved in Franco's life even though there were references to her poems and letters. I never connected with her as a real person instead of a historical figure. I blame this entirely on the author's presentation and not anything wrong with Franco herself.
So, I'm interested in the topic and did learn a few things, but really this book could have been written more accessibly.
September 7, 2010
A very good, if somewhat dry, biography about Veronica Franco, a courtesan of sixteenth century Venice. Not for everyone. The poetry is gorgeous, though, and very moving. This was turned into the movie Dangerous Beauty. Five stars.
November 1, 2018
I also saw the movie on Netflix called dangerous beauty. OMG THIS WAS EXCELLENT. This was the love story of all love stories. He never quit would have death do us part for her. If you love love you’ll love this. I recommend it so you can rate it yourself. Every book is not going to be liked by everyone. But this was just plain fantastic and suspenseful.
October 27, 2011
I read this book back in 2008? I don't remember but I know I read it, perhaps only a quick read and it was my first book on Feminism and I remember it to be a very dull one to read and too scholarly for casual reading. So this is not a book I highly recommend to everyone. But should check out "Poems and Selected Letters" by Veronica Franco. I'm planning to.
I recently watched the the movie version based on the book just to see the accuracy and- Oh well. It's the same story. Veronica Franco in the movie differs in so many ways from the real woman.
Veronica Franco was a scholar, a skillful poet and of course, a courtesan in 16th century Venice. She belonged to cortigiana onesta means she is an intellectual courtesan, perhaps the most celebrated member of the category other than Mata Hari. So yes, basically she was a well-paid prostitute but reading her shows that she was much more, perhaps a very first feminist, her choice of work must not shadow the fact that she was a woman of courage and freedom. I mean what a woman to do to make her own way and survive once the husband is dead, a time in which education was denied to women.
"When we too are armed and trained, we can convince men that we have hands, feet, and a heart like yours; and although we may be delicate and soft, some men who are delicate are also strong; and others, coarse and harsh, are cowards. Women have not yet realized this, for if they should decide to do so, they would be able to fight you until death; and to prove that I speak the truth, amongst so many women, I will be the first to act, setting an example for them to follow."
—Veronica Franco
I recently watched the the movie version based on the book just to see the accuracy and- Oh well. It's the same story. Veronica Franco in the movie differs in so many ways from the real woman.
Veronica Franco was a scholar, a skillful poet and of course, a courtesan in 16th century Venice. She belonged to cortigiana onesta means she is an intellectual courtesan, perhaps the most celebrated member of the category other than Mata Hari. So yes, basically she was a well-paid prostitute but reading her shows that she was much more, perhaps a very first feminist, her choice of work must not shadow the fact that she was a woman of courage and freedom. I mean what a woman to do to make her own way and survive once the husband is dead, a time in which education was denied to women.
"When we too are armed and trained, we can convince men that we have hands, feet, and a heart like yours; and although we may be delicate and soft, some men who are delicate are also strong; and others, coarse and harsh, are cowards. Women have not yet realized this, for if they should decide to do so, they would be able to fight you until death; and to prove that I speak the truth, amongst so many women, I will be the first to act, setting an example for them to follow."
—Veronica Franco
October 31, 2025
Dangerous Beauty based on The Honest Courtesan - Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice by Margaret Rosenthal
9 out of 10
Anticipating some possible objections, for it has happened in the past, however seldom, let me repeat what is in the ‘headline’ of this note – it is not about the book per se, but about the film based on it, and I would put down a few reasons why this inconceivable tomfoolery is thrown out here…first, I have tried and inserted a new entry on some movies on the goodreads platform in the past, to do the honest deed, when they do not allow you to add to the extant script, like you can review The Banshees of Inisherin http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/01/t... in my book, by far the best motion picture of 2022, far ahead of the competition, including the favorite to win, Everything, Everywhere All At Once – I could only watch about twenty minutes and then abandoned it https://notesaboutfilms.blogspot.com/...
Only librarians can add items on goodreads alas – though it used to be different, I have added quite a few things and was not asked for credentials – then there is a second motive, which has to do with the notes I place on the books I read, and when I do not like it, I say so, and then I am tempted to go off on tangents and write about whatever the failed read has brought to mind…I have started a few days back Solomon Gursky Was Here and when I saw that this is six hundred pages long or something daunting like that, I lost the appetite and trust that I will stay with such a long narrative for too long, and there is no note on this ‘experience’, but there you go, I mention it here and who knows, it could be coming soon
A third reason would have to do with the knowledge that this is not going to make the day for anyone really – yes, once in a while, there are ‘likes’ attached to my ‘reviews’, but that is not because of the Unbearable Burden of Massive Talent (or whatever the name of the new Nicholas Cage fiasco is called) it is due to the Reciprocity Rule explained in the quintessential Influence http://realini.blogspot.com/2021/08/t... by magician Robert Cialdini
You like my text, I like your note and therefore we have a virtuous (or is it vicious) circle, wherein we get a boost in morale, but is it really justified to be thrilled that somebody enjoyed, related to your thoughts, when you doubt whether that was just in answer to the rule of Influence, and not really any merit of whatever you say in your take…I have made a habit of provoking, inserting passages asking for a reaction (let us see yours), or just playing a solitary game, where I admit to myself that there are no readers out here, maybe a few start reading, but when they see the atrocious menu -as in The Menu https://notesaboutfilms.blogspot.com/... - they run, as they should
Cortigiana Onesta aka The Honest Courtesan is Veronica Franco, a dashing, admirable, clever, educated, brave, honest, generous woman, who lived between 1546 and 1591 in Venice, a city state that was at the peak of its power, a zenith which had it fighting, and alternatively trading with The Ottoman Empire, received the visit of the British monarch, King Henry, who has an episode with the Cortigiana.
At that encounter, the sovereign shows the dark side, he takes out a small sword and threatens the woman, talking about his reputation, he is taken for a pervert, and he looks and acts like one, only the power, grace, emotional, social intelligence of Veronica Franco help her handle the beast, and not just that, but the result of her intervention (perhaps also the intimacy, however unclear I am on the issue, I mean did they copulate, was the badass into Carnal Knowledge http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/07/c... or did he get his kicks only from bullying, threatening, cutting and who knows what other cruelties he liked to inflict on women and potentially other
The Honest Courtesan loves a young man, Marco Venier, but the difference in station prevents the union, in all but carnal ways, for he has high aspirations, for fortune and power, and whatever Paola Franco, the mother of the main character and once a cortigiana herself, had accumulated has been squandered on drink by the irresponsible father, and hence she is unsuitable for marital bliss with the rather loathsome Venier, at least at this stage in the narrative, he may have a chance to redeem himself later…
This has reminded me of Emma http://realini.blogspot.com/2020/11/e... by Jane Austen, the archetypal classic right (?), and a comment from a documentary on Capital in the 21st century by the trendy economist, the French Thomas Pickerty, with a leftist outlook…apparently, there is no way under the sun that the characters in the Jane Austen, and for that matter, so many other novels, to meet, never mind get together and live for ever after, for they lived in different universes, their worlds never intersected, ‘forget about it’ – to quote Donnie Brasco http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/07/d... with those love stories
in that, The Honest Courtesan is indeed genuine on two fronts, first, we have the plain verity, she can have a connection with the proud aristo only in bed, and without marital vows exchanged, otherwise, it is the end game, which indeed, it looks to be in the first chapter, when he tells her she wants to be with her, but not in front of a priest and she rejects that and is furious and destroyed, until her mother pushes her to become what was a prostitute maybe, but I am not sure about that, things were different
a courtesan could read, she gets access in a library, where a ‘common, normal woman’ was forbidden to enter, and though they end up near the canal, for most of the time, due to abuse, physical and mental violence, where they struggle to make ends meet, some of the most coveted women in this domain could acquire power and wealth, which Veronica sets to do, showing her literary and other talents in the process, with vivacity, resilience, dedication, even passion, forced as she is to become a cortigiana (and this the second front where she is honest, she does not hide it, and she would help Venice at a difficult moment) because her family has no more means to survive and Veronica has to support them…
If you are curious, this is me: http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u...
9 out of 10
Anticipating some possible objections, for it has happened in the past, however seldom, let me repeat what is in the ‘headline’ of this note – it is not about the book per se, but about the film based on it, and I would put down a few reasons why this inconceivable tomfoolery is thrown out here…first, I have tried and inserted a new entry on some movies on the goodreads platform in the past, to do the honest deed, when they do not allow you to add to the extant script, like you can review The Banshees of Inisherin http://realini.blogspot.com/2023/01/t... in my book, by far the best motion picture of 2022, far ahead of the competition, including the favorite to win, Everything, Everywhere All At Once – I could only watch about twenty minutes and then abandoned it https://notesaboutfilms.blogspot.com/...
Only librarians can add items on goodreads alas – though it used to be different, I have added quite a few things and was not asked for credentials – then there is a second motive, which has to do with the notes I place on the books I read, and when I do not like it, I say so, and then I am tempted to go off on tangents and write about whatever the failed read has brought to mind…I have started a few days back Solomon Gursky Was Here and when I saw that this is six hundred pages long or something daunting like that, I lost the appetite and trust that I will stay with such a long narrative for too long, and there is no note on this ‘experience’, but there you go, I mention it here and who knows, it could be coming soon
A third reason would have to do with the knowledge that this is not going to make the day for anyone really – yes, once in a while, there are ‘likes’ attached to my ‘reviews’, but that is not because of the Unbearable Burden of Massive Talent (or whatever the name of the new Nicholas Cage fiasco is called) it is due to the Reciprocity Rule explained in the quintessential Influence http://realini.blogspot.com/2021/08/t... by magician Robert Cialdini
You like my text, I like your note and therefore we have a virtuous (or is it vicious) circle, wherein we get a boost in morale, but is it really justified to be thrilled that somebody enjoyed, related to your thoughts, when you doubt whether that was just in answer to the rule of Influence, and not really any merit of whatever you say in your take…I have made a habit of provoking, inserting passages asking for a reaction (let us see yours), or just playing a solitary game, where I admit to myself that there are no readers out here, maybe a few start reading, but when they see the atrocious menu -as in The Menu https://notesaboutfilms.blogspot.com/... - they run, as they should
Cortigiana Onesta aka The Honest Courtesan is Veronica Franco, a dashing, admirable, clever, educated, brave, honest, generous woman, who lived between 1546 and 1591 in Venice, a city state that was at the peak of its power, a zenith which had it fighting, and alternatively trading with The Ottoman Empire, received the visit of the British monarch, King Henry, who has an episode with the Cortigiana.
At that encounter, the sovereign shows the dark side, he takes out a small sword and threatens the woman, talking about his reputation, he is taken for a pervert, and he looks and acts like one, only the power, grace, emotional, social intelligence of Veronica Franco help her handle the beast, and not just that, but the result of her intervention (perhaps also the intimacy, however unclear I am on the issue, I mean did they copulate, was the badass into Carnal Knowledge http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/07/c... or did he get his kicks only from bullying, threatening, cutting and who knows what other cruelties he liked to inflict on women and potentially other
The Honest Courtesan loves a young man, Marco Venier, but the difference in station prevents the union, in all but carnal ways, for he has high aspirations, for fortune and power, and whatever Paola Franco, the mother of the main character and once a cortigiana herself, had accumulated has been squandered on drink by the irresponsible father, and hence she is unsuitable for marital bliss with the rather loathsome Venier, at least at this stage in the narrative, he may have a chance to redeem himself later…
This has reminded me of Emma http://realini.blogspot.com/2020/11/e... by Jane Austen, the archetypal classic right (?), and a comment from a documentary on Capital in the 21st century by the trendy economist, the French Thomas Pickerty, with a leftist outlook…apparently, there is no way under the sun that the characters in the Jane Austen, and for that matter, so many other novels, to meet, never mind get together and live for ever after, for they lived in different universes, their worlds never intersected, ‘forget about it’ – to quote Donnie Brasco http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/07/d... with those love stories
in that, The Honest Courtesan is indeed genuine on two fronts, first, we have the plain verity, she can have a connection with the proud aristo only in bed, and without marital vows exchanged, otherwise, it is the end game, which indeed, it looks to be in the first chapter, when he tells her she wants to be with her, but not in front of a priest and she rejects that and is furious and destroyed, until her mother pushes her to become what was a prostitute maybe, but I am not sure about that, things were different
a courtesan could read, she gets access in a library, where a ‘common, normal woman’ was forbidden to enter, and though they end up near the canal, for most of the time, due to abuse, physical and mental violence, where they struggle to make ends meet, some of the most coveted women in this domain could acquire power and wealth, which Veronica sets to do, showing her literary and other talents in the process, with vivacity, resilience, dedication, even passion, forced as she is to become a cortigiana (and this the second front where she is honest, she does not hide it, and she would help Venice at a difficult moment) because her family has no more means to survive and Veronica has to support them…
If you are curious, this is me: http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u...
September 10, 2017
A valuable but frustrating book. Rosenthal has done terrific work recovering the context surrounding Veronica Franco, a courtesan poetess of the late 16th century in Venice. Unfortunately, it kind of falls between two stools, wanting to be both a biography and a literary study. In fact, one would be hard pressed to come up with a coherent narrative of Franco's life on the basis of this work. To be sure, key events (her being hauled before the Inquisition, her legal and testamentary disputes, her poetic duels) are recounted here with a rather high degree of meticulousness. But that very precision makes it terribly difficult to get a wider angle view on the life as a whole. Perhaps that finally isn't Rosenthal's aim. In any case, the immersion in poetic mores of this period in Venice is quite deep. Helpfully, Rosenthal translates _all_ of the Italian she quotes, so non-speakers or -readers need not be put off by that. However, general readers will be. It never settles down into a clear biographical format nor are there very many end- or beginning-of chapter summaries that place all the contextual material into the broader framework of the life. This book will be most valuable to those who plan to read the letters and poems; indeed, Rosenthal's close contextual readings here are where the book is at its most useful. The very complete bibliography is also extremely useful for scholars, but not so much for the general reader.
December 10, 2015
This book is very dense, but is very well written. Rosenthal is able to create a biography of Veronica Franco by introducing Franco's literary works, her actions, and the impact she had on the restrictive patriarchal society in which she lived. I am very glad I got to know Franco as well as I did and grateful for Margaret Rosenthal's excellent telling of her story.
September 2, 2010
a literary delight thus far..
June 7, 2021
Set in La Serenissima, I was prepared for a sweeping epic about this enigmatic, decadent slice of Italy. There are intriguiing moments, to be sure. I never knew Venice is festooned with two dual images of the female: the Virgin Mary (signaling the miracle of a city that seems to float on water) and Venus at her moment of rising from the waves. Although sacred and profane, both encompass visions of spotless purity, for this was the moment was Venus was a virgin maid, before she gave herself to divine and mortal lovers.
But this look at Veronica Franco, one of the famed courtesans who held sway at court and knew the patronage of powerful men, gets bogged down in exhaustive details about her two wills; trials made against her by spiteful neighbors, envious courtiers and thieving servants and seemingly endless dissections of her personal letters and poetry.
It's true that we get the image of a learned, intelligent woman who used her education and wit beyond the confines of a boudoir. Yet with so much of it mired in technical minutiae, this is one very dry literary tome indeed. There are also many passages and snippets of Italian scattered through it. Even with translations, this makes for slow slogging for the English reader.
All i all, only bilingual readers or dedicated scholars could delight in this book. For me, this was 255 pages that felt like a thousand.
But this look at Veronica Franco, one of the famed courtesans who held sway at court and knew the patronage of powerful men, gets bogged down in exhaustive details about her two wills; trials made against her by spiteful neighbors, envious courtiers and thieving servants and seemingly endless dissections of her personal letters and poetry.
It's true that we get the image of a learned, intelligent woman who used her education and wit beyond the confines of a boudoir. Yet with so much of it mired in technical minutiae, this is one very dry literary tome indeed. There are also many passages and snippets of Italian scattered through it. Even with translations, this makes for slow slogging for the English reader.
All i all, only bilingual readers or dedicated scholars could delight in this book. For me, this was 255 pages that felt like a thousand.
August 29, 2024
This Academic work reflects on Veronica Franco not only as a Venetian courtesan but also as a poet and writer having to face the prejudices made against her by much more powerful men. This publication also discusses the role and place of Venetian women in the 16th century and how exhorbitant dowries impacted Venetian families and their daughters (even women from Patrician families) resulting in parents pushing daughters to become courtesans to financially help their family. Veronica Franco was aware of the such issues and dedicated her life to help young women as she knew the difficult and precarious position of being a courtesan.
April 18, 2021
"Safe now, I remember the danger of when, through your eyes and handsome face, Love held out to me its burning torch, and intent on wounding me in a thousand ways, he had gathered the flames of my fire even from the river of your eloquence."
Well analised, gives a deep account of what meant to be a prostitute and a courtesan in Venice and what Veronica had to live through and how she was different and also the same as the others.
Her poetry is beautiful and explains a lot of what she felt at the time.
Well analised, gives a deep account of what meant to be a prostitute and a courtesan in Venice and what Veronica had to live through and how she was different and also the same as the others.
Her poetry is beautiful and explains a lot of what she felt at the time.
July 10, 2021
This book is extensively researched, with 100 pages of notes plus a bibliography. However, this is not a biography but more of an analysis of Franco's work and times. I wished it had talked more about her life and those of the people around her, though I realize her biography is scant. It is a bit confusing if her main volume of poetry is autobiographical or not. In addition, the appendices included are in Italian only. I would recommend this for scholars or those already familiar with her work. I feel like I should have read her works first, then this book.
August 29, 2022
Біографія тієї самої знаменитої венеційської куртизанки Вероніки Франко, про яку зняли однойменний фільм. Тільки біографія швидше не історична, а літературознавча, бо знаємо ми про життя Вероніки зі збірки її віршів та документів судового процесу, де було в буквальному значенні чортішо. Тому залишаються вірші. Я не велика фанатка літературознавчих студій, але все одно цікаво. Ну й висновок зовсім неоригінальний зроблю, слідом за Веронікою та майже її словами: фігово бути куртизанкою, навіть якщо тебе підносять за поетичний талант, і такої долі нікому бути не треба.
February 13, 2023
Meticulous and extremely valuable and appreciated research. Just a bit dry, but perhaps unsurprising for an academic text. Still, completely worth it if you want to know about the time period, poetry of the Italian 16th century, Venetian women writers, or courtesans.
June 27, 2017
The go-to study of a sixteenth-century "great woman," eminently readable and informative, eventually turned into a hawribble movie
April 20, 2023
read for my women in early modern europe class
April 23, 2013
I read this book a couple of years ago.It still thrills! The essence of the "TRUE" story centers around the Venetian Courtesan (cortigiana onesta)aka_"The Honest Courtesan" Veronica Franco(1546-1591).We all know "what the oldest profession" is_since it's been around since the beginning of time.However,Franco was a woman before her time & the Laws that governed what women can and can not do,regardless of profession.She was a citizen of Venice whose published poems and rich letters give testimony to her complexity.The honest courtesan recast virtue as an intellectual integrity,offering wit and refinement in return for patronage and a place in public life.Franco was an avid supporter of defenseless women,had strong convictions about inequality and wrote in the eroticized language of her epistolary verses,the seductive political nature of all poetic contests.Franco was insightful enough to know that her power posed a threat to her male contemporaries and more often than not _many of her clients.
Even more fascinating was the movie on DVD cld."Dangerous Beauty" tells the sensuous story of Veronica Franco..played by Catherine McCormack.When she was deemed a woman of Witchcraft,she may pay a price_BUT the Inquisition will show that the mighty Church Authorities were really some of her CLIENTS!All based on the book "The Honest Courtesan".
A REAL DELICIOUS MEAL WITH THE DESSERT BEING THE WHOLE STORY!
Even more fascinating was the movie on DVD cld."Dangerous Beauty" tells the sensuous story of Veronica Franco..played by Catherine McCormack.When she was deemed a woman of Witchcraft,she may pay a price_BUT the Inquisition will show that the mighty Church Authorities were really some of her CLIENTS!All based on the book "The Honest Courtesan".
A REAL DELICIOUS MEAL WITH THE DESSERT BEING THE WHOLE STORY!
May 2, 2011
I have mixed feelings on how to rate this book. The book is well organized and the selected pieces of writing along with their translations are lovely. This book, however, feels like it was written by a 9th grader. There are awkward paraphrases that precede the presented writing that are essentially the same words. She bores you with blah passive structure and sentences that say "Interestingly," Calling it dry is being almost too polite. Yet the content keeps the reader engaged, so go figure. If you can get past the section where Rosenthal describes the wills, you can get through this book and enjoy it.
March 15, 2008
I could never get very far into this book. I'm a big fan of history even history that's rather dry. This book though goes a step beyond ordinary dryness and bores even me.
I suspect if I already had a much better understanding of Veronica Franco and her time I'd find the book much more interesting.
I suspect if I already had a much better understanding of Veronica Franco and her time I'd find the book much more interesting.
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August 20, 2009Read this one years ago- but I'm planning on re-reading it since it's really non-fiction and there's so much info that needs refreshing. I'm interested in understanding her poetry in more depth. Bit of a heavy read -but incredibly interesting. I also don't have the review for it..so good incentive as well.
June 8, 2014
It was an interesting book, but a bit dry. More of a scholarly tome--which is what it is--than something that is meant to paint a vivid picture of the person. Overall, it had interesting and useful information, and I was able to piece together some of the implied information from the text rather easily.
August 14, 2013
While I found Franco's life and poetry fascinating, Rosenthal tends to wander a bit in the discussion of external subject matter. A half dozen pages on the evolution of Venetian poetry to explain why she wrote a particular poem the way she did seems like overkill. I'm exaggerating a bit, but you get my point. Overall, this is a really interesting read about an equally interesting woman.
March 15, 2008
I had seen the movie Dangerous Beauty, then heard about the book. Reading it, the customs and the times--fascinated me, it was sad to hear an outcome not at all as 'Hollywood' as the movie, quite humbling--and helped me grow as a person. Veronio Franco is still a hero....
July 26, 2012
i have to be in the right mind set to read this, text like style book. right now, i need books to take me to another plain, where i can escape for a few hours in to the fantastical. sso far it is very informative, but just a revisit me type of book.
July 27, 2007
This book was just very hard to get through. It should be read more for the history of wars and civil battles of the time than for the life of Veronica Franco.
May 25, 2008
A lot dryer than I expected - not enough biographical or anecdotal information. Veronica Franco's letters and poems were very well written.
July 6, 2008
I first fell in love with the movie Dangerous Beauty. So when I came upon this book I had to get it. I love the story of Veronica Franco - and the history.
October 8, 2008
Movie based in part on this piece of work entitled Dangerous Beauty. Saw the film first, was intrigued as to who Veronica Franco was, and read the book. Amazingly sultry stuff!!
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