Maria Luisa Cicci (14 September 1760 - 8 March 1794) was an Italian woman of letters and 18th century poet, a member of a member of the literary-scholarly societies (academies) of Arcadians of Pisa and Intronati of Siena; she was a prominent sponsor of literary salons in Pisa.

Biography

Cicci was born in

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

in 1760. The family was originally from

Fucecchio Fucecchio () is a town and (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany. The main economical resources of the city are the leather industries, shoes industry and other manufacturing activities, although in ...

but with proof of having Pisan origins prior to the year 1319 they were considered local nobility. Her father was Domenico Alessandro Cicci, a doctor in law and in letters. Her mother, Maria Anna was the daughter of the Captain Giovanni Gaetano Pagnini, Commander of the Cavalleggieri di Rosignano. She died when Maria Luisa was two years old. Her father supervised her education until she was eight. Then he sent her to finish her education in the Monastery of Santa Marta and then to the Monastery of San Bernardo until she was fifteen. At that point she returned home where she began studying the poets and especially

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

, Dante,

Petrarch Francis Petrarch (; 20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374; ; modern ), born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest Renaissance humanism, humanists. Petrarch's redis ...

Saverio Bettinelli Saverio Bettinelli (18 July 1718 – 13 September 1808) was an Italian Jesuit priest and writer. He became known as a polymath, dramatist, polemicist, poet, and literary critic. He was a friend of some of the leading authors of his times: V ...

Fulvio Testi Fulvio Testi (; August 1593 in Ferrara – 28 August 1646 in Modena) was an Italian diplomat and poet who is recognised as one of the main exponents of 17th-century Italian Baroque literature. He worked in the service of the d'Este dukes in Mode ...

and in particular

Gabriello Chiabrera Gabriello Chiabrera (; 18 June 155214 October 1638) was an Italian poet, sometimes called the Italian Pindar. Endnote: The best editions of Chiabrera are those of Rome (1718, 3 vols. 8vo); of Venice (1731, 4 vols. 8vo); of Leghorn (1781, 5 vols., ...

and

Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni (21 November 1692 – 20 December 1768) was an Italian poet and librettist. As a poet Frugoni was one of the best of the school of the Arcadian Academy, and his lyrics and pastorals had great facility and elegance. His coll ...

. She then began to study philosophy physics including Locke and

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...

and English literature including Milton,

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

. Cicci then began to study history, English and French. She began writing poetry when she was ten and devoted most of her life to poetry. Cicci was admitted to the

Academy of Arcadia The Accademia degli Arcadi or Accademia dell'Arcadia, "Academy of Arcadia" or "Academy of the Arcadians", is an Italian literary academy founded in Rome in 1690. The full Italian official name was Pontificia Accademia degli Arcadi. History Found ...

in Pisa in 1786 where she took the name of Emenia Tindarida. She also was admitted to

Accademia degli Intronati The ''Accademia degli Intronati'' was a prominent literary and scholarly society in Siena.

of Siena that year where she took the name The Incognita. She lived in her brother's home and hosted the salon's there. The local circle included Tito Manzi, Giovanni Domenico Anguillesi, Elena Mastiani Brunacci, Francesco Masi, Giovanni Salvatore de Coureil, Luigi Migliaresi, Giovanni Salvadore De Coureil and Ridolfo Castinelli. Cicci's writings made her famous. She remained independent and refused any marriage proposal. However shortly after the deaths of two of her close friends she began to feel ill and died at the age of 34 in 1794 in Pisa. Unfortunately there is almost nothing left of her writings. She had most of them set on fire just before she died. However her brother and her friends were able to recite some and had them published after her death.

Works

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cicci, Marie Louise 1760 births 1794 deaths People from Pisa 18th-century Italian women writers 18th-century Italian poets Italian women poets Italian salon-holders