Gaspara Stampa facts for kids
Gaspara Stampa (born 1523 – died April 23, 1554) was a famous Italian poet. Many people think she was the greatest woman poet of the Italian Renaissance. Some even say she was the best Italian woman poet of all time!
Gaspara Stampa's Life Story
Gaspara Stampa was born in Padua, Italy. Her father, Bartolomeo, was a jewel and gold merchant from Milan. Gaspara had two siblings, Cassandra and Baldassarre.
When Gaspara was eight, her father passed away. Her mother, Cecilia, then moved the family to Venice. Cecilia made sure her children received a good education. They learned about literature, music, history, and painting. Gaspara and Cassandra were especially good at singing and playing the lute. They might have been taught by a musician named Tuttovale Menon.
The Stampa family home soon became a popular spot for artists. Many famous writers, painters, and musicians from Venice visited them. Gaspara herself was a musician. She even performed songs called madrigals that she had written.
In 1544, Gaspara's brother died. This made her very sad, and she thought about becoming a nun. But after a difficult time, she returned to her lively life in Venice. In 1550, Gaspara joined a group called the Accademia dei Dubbiosi. She used the name "Anaxilla" there.
Around this time, she started a relationship with Count Collaltino di Collalto. Gaspara wrote most of her 311 known poems for him. The count's interest seemed to fade, possibly because he traveled a lot. Their relationship ended in 1551.
Gaspara became very unwell and sad after the breakup. But this difficult time led to her writing many beautiful and strong poems. Through her poetry, she became famous. People mostly remember Collaltino now because of Gaspara's poems about him. She wrote that her pain helped her create poetry, which led to her survival and fame.
Between 1551 and 1552, Gaspara had a calmer period. She started a new relationship with Bartolomeo Zen. In 1553 and 1554, Gaspara was not well. She spent a few months in Florence, hoping the warmer weather would help her. She went back to Venice but got a high fever. She passed away on April 23, 1554, after being sick for fifteen days. Records show she died from fever, stomach pain, and mal de mare (which means "disease of the sea" in Venice).
Her Amazing Poems
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Gaspara Stampa's poems were first published after she died. This happened in October 1554. The book was called Rime di Madonna Gaspara Stampa. Her sister, Cassandra, put the collection together. It was printed by Plinio Pietrasanta in Venice.
Gaspara's poems are like a diary. She writes about her happiness and her sadness. Her 311 poems are a very important collection of poetry written by a woman in the 1500s.
A famous German poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, mentioned Gaspara Stampa in one of his most important works, the Duino Elegies.
See also
In Spanish: Gaspara Stampa para niños
