Abstract
ABSTRACTThe Rime di donne, printed in 1559, is the first Italian verse anthology dedicated entirely to female poets. This article offers a detailed reading of the image and role that Vittoria Colonna plays in the anthology, drawing comparisons with Pietro Bembo’s function in the Libro primo of 1545. It suggests that the Rime di donne’s editorial strategies codify Colonna as the female equivalent to Bembo, presenting her as the exemplary exponent of Petrarchan style for contemporary women poets. The article first examines two sonnets that Marguerite d’Angoulême addressed to Colonna, exploring how those highlight Colonna’s stylistic and spiritual primacy within the anthology. Secondly, it analyses the poems the editor chose to represent Colonna herself. Finally, it shows ways in which the anthology can be regarded as a testimony to the poetic and stylistic legacy of Colonna with respect to the construction of the female poetic persona for the poets anthologised.
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