Novella d'Andrea (

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

, 1312–1333 (or around 1346 or 1366) was an Italian legal scholar and professor in law at the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

. As the daughter of

Giovanni d'Andrea Giovanni d'Andrea or Johannes Andreæ (1270 1275 – 1348) was an Italian expert in canon law. His contemporaries referred to him as ''iuris canonici fons et tuba'' ("the fount and trumpet of canon law"). Most important among ...

, a professor in

Canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

at the University of Bologna, she was educated by her father and reportedly took over his lectures at the university during his absence. According to

Christine de Pisan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (, ; born Cristina da Pizzano; September 1364 – ), was an Italian-born French court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French royal dukes, in both prose and poetry. Christine de Pizan served as a cour ...

, she talked to the students through a curtain so they would not be distracted by her beauty. Some suggest that she married the lawyer Giovanni Calderinus or the professor John of Legnano, but, according to others sources she married the lawyer Filippo Formaglini in 1326. She died young. Her father supposedly gave his work about the

decretal Decretals () are letters of a pope that formulate decisions in canon law (Catholic Church), ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church.McGurk. ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms''. p. 10 They are generally given in answer to consultations but are some ...

s of

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX (; born Ugolino di Conti; 1145 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decretales'' and instituting the Pa ...

the name ''Novellae'' to her memory. Her sister,

Bettina d'Andrea Bettina d'Andrea (Bologna, 1311–Padua, 5 October 1355) was an Italian legal scholar and professor in law and philosophy at the University of Padua. As the daughter of Giovanni d'Andrea, professor in Canon law at the University of Bologna ...

, is reported to have taught law and philosophy at the university at

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

, where her husband Giovanni Da Sangiorgio was also employed, until her death in 1335.

References

* Uglow, Jennifer S. ''The Macmillan Dictionary of Women's Biography'', Macmillan, 1982, 1312 births 1333 deaths 14th-century Italian women Jurists from Bologna Canon law jurists Academic staff of the University of Bologna 14th-century educators 14th-century Italian jurists {{Italy-law-bio-stub