Veronica Gambara - Family

Family

Born in Pralboino (now in the Province of Brescia), in Lombardy, Italy, Gambara came from a distinguished family, one of the seven children of Count Gianfrancesco da Gambara and Alda Pio da Carpi. Her family contained a number of distinguished intellectuals as members, including her grandmother Ginevra and great-aunt, Isotta Nogarola. Veronica was also a niece of Emilia Pia. Her brother Uberto Gambara became a cardinal.

She was educated in literature, philosophy, and languages from an early age. She learned to compose in classical Latin and read Latin poetry. When she was 17 she corresponded with the leading neo-Petrarchan, Pietro Bembo, who later became her mentor. By 1530 her poetry was known throughout Italy.

In 1508 she was betrothed to a cousin, Giberto X, Count of Correggio. He was a 50 year old widower, she was 23. She married him in 1509 in Amalfi. Although an arranged marriage she developed real feeling for her husband and wrote poems of their love. They had two sons, Ippolito was born in 1510 and Girolamo in 1511. After Giberto's death in 1518 she expressed her grief in her poetry. She took charge of his estates as well as the education of her two sons.

She took an active role in the military defence of Correggio in wars between the Emperor Charles V and the French king, Francis I. She addressed poems to various leaders on the necessity of peace that were by turns flattering and stern.

Se died in 1550 in Correggio, Italy.

Approximately 80 of her poems and 150 of her letters are extant, although there is no full English translation of her work. Most of her poems are sonnets, although she also wrote madrigals, ballads, and stanze in ottava rima. Besides her political poems, she wrote poems of love, religious devotion, and pastoral praise of Brescia and Correggio.