I wish it were not a sin to have liked it so. – Veronica Franco
Our word “courtesan” derives (via French) from the Italian cortigiana, but the term was originally used (with various modifiers) to mean virtually any puttana; those who met the criteria which we now associate with the word were called cortigiana onesta (honest courtesan). 16th-century Venice was renowned for the number and quality of her courtesans, and the most famous of these was Veronica Franco, who is remembered not only for her profession but also for her poetry and letters.
Veronica was born in 1546 to a family of the citizen class; she had three brothers who were educated by tutors, and her mother, a former cortigiana onesta herself, insisted that Veronica share that education. This proved to be a wise decision, for though Veronica was married in her mid-teens to a physician named Paolo Panizza, the arrangement proved to be stifling and she soon sought a divorce. Though Venetian women of that time could initiate such proceedings, obtaining a property settlement or support was virtually impossible if they did so; she asked her husband to return her dowry but he refused, and with a young child to support she had little option other than becoming a courtesan. Fortunately her mother trained her well and Veronica was an apt pupil; she soon excelled at her profession and was able to support her family in great splendor for a decade.
By the time she was twenty, Veronica was among the most popular and respected courtesans in Venice; her intelligence, strong personality and sexual skills won her a number of important clients, including King Henry III of France and Domenico Venier, a wealthy poet and literary advisor whose salon Veronica joined by the time she was 25. As a member of the Venetian literati she participated in group discussions and contributed to collections of poetry published collectively by the salon; she also helped to edit these anthologies. In 1575 she published Terze Rime, a collection of 25 capitoli (verse letters) in the titular form; 17 of them are hers and the others are by Marco Venier (Domenico’s brother) and others, writing to and about her. Veronica’s poetry is erotic and sometimes sexually explicit; she was not ashamed of being a courtesan but rather celebrated it, and defends the rights of courtesans (and women in general) in several of the capitoli. #16 is a response to three obscene poems written by Maffio Venier (her patron’s cousin) in an attempt to publicly humiliate her.
Unfortunately, Veronica’s success was not to last; soon after her book was published plague broke out in Venice and raged for two years. She was forced to flee the city, and in her absence her house was looted; she lost most of her possessions (including a library that was among the best private collections in Europe), and was only saved from ruin by the generous patronage of Domenico Venier. The plague also took her mother and a brother, so she was left with the care of her nephews in addition to her own children (she eventually had six in all, three of whom died in infancy). Upon her return to Venice in 1577, she unsuccessfully attempted to convince the city to fund a charity for the children of courtesans.
In 1580, Franco published Lettere Familiari a Diversi (Familiar Letters to Various People), a collection of 50 letters, to various clients (including Henry III), friends and others; some of the letters contain biographical data, others give advice (including one to a mother who was considering raising her daughter as a courtesan), and still others expound on her philosophical and moral views. But as in 1575, this publication was followed closely by disaster; her son’s tutor, Ridolfo Vannitelli (possibly motivated by her spurning his advances), denounced her to the Inquisition on a charge of witchcraft, and though her own eloquent defense, the help of Domenico Venier, her many clients among the nobility and quite possibly the intercession of one of the Inquisitors won her acquittal, her reputation was irreparably damaged and the last of her fortune was depleted. Venier died two years later, and Veronica was forced to move to a poor area inhabited mostly by lower-class whores. She died in 1591, aged 45, in relative poverty and near obscurity, having outlived the heyday of her profession.
I first became aware of Veronica Franco’s story after becoming a call girl myself, through the movie Dangerous Beauty (based on Margaret Rosenthal’s book The Honest Courtesan); a friend of mine saw it and insisted we watch it together, and I’m glad she did because it was wonderful to see such a positive portrayal of prostitution. The movie takes dramatic liberty with some aspects of her life, but it adheres to the spirit of her experiences and the attitude and personality displayed in her poetry; it opens with this English translation of one of her poems, but as it was written after the decline in her fortunes I’d like to close with it:
We danced our youth in a dreamed-of city,
Venice, paradise, proud and pretty.
We lived for love and lust and beauty,
Pleasure then our only duty;
Floating them twixt heaven and Earth
And drank on plenty’s blessed mirth.
We thought ourselves eternal then,
Our glory sealed by God’s own pen.
But heav’n, we found is always frail,
Against man’s fear will always fail.
One Year Ago Today
“Unreal Princesses” examines the phenomenon I call “cyberdrag” (men pretending to be women online), and especially the case of Thomas Bohannan (AKA “Alexa di Carlo”).
Ms. McNeill, thank you for another great biography of a famous courtesan. Your biographies and works of fiction are among my favourite posts. I wonder if you’ve any reading recommendations for biographies of whores? Btb, any hint as to when your readers will get another fictional interlude?
I get my “harlotographies” from a number of sources, so I don’t really know of one good source for a collection of them (though Whores in History has a few). As for the fictional interlude, had you asked that question yesterday I could not have honestly answered you. However, a story idea came to me on the way in to town today, and I’ll be writing it tonight to appear this coming Sunday. 🙂
Thank you. I know I saw a movie (major release) about a courtesan in Venice. I think it was released in the late 80’s . It was truly excellent . The Venetians were very sensible about sex outside of marriage.
Nice read.
I just finished a book about the witch craze of the 16 and 17th centuries. One fact that stood out, wherever this mad-ness occurred, was that its victims were for the most part the elements of society least able to fight back. The women(mostly, but some men) who were victimized were the ones with the fewest friends in high places. It definitely sounds to me as is if VF had some good friends. Good for her.
I do not read that part of her story as being utterly bleak. It was risky defending a “witch” who was also a courtesan. This story could have gone a lot worse.
Rum,
It continues today. The IRS is more likely to pursue people of low income because they know that these folks don’t have the resources – like lawyers – to fight them. So it makes their enforcement numbers look good.
They do occasionally go head-hunting for big game but the run of the mill operation targets the lower middle class.
Oh yes, Veronica Franco – one of my favorite characters :-). After seeing this movie, I went through a craze for books on courtesans that I could find to read. Have you read “The Seductress” by Prioleau and what do you think of it?
Dangerous Beauty added to Netflix queue.
The bad news is: I now find myself wanting to write terza rima. Well, it’ll be good exercise for the ol’ brain.
Terza rima is easy in Italian, but much more difficult in English; I read a verse translation of The Divine Comedy in high school and it was pretty impressive.
I still haven’t written any. I’ve got the subject chosen, though: abundance through technological progress.
Well, I just finished the movie. It doesn’t seem that they added a lot, which is amazing considering what movies generally do to any story, fictional or historic. They did leave a lot out (such as her previous marriage, her children, and the deaths of her mother and brother), but again, it’s pretty accurate, for a movie. I don’t have any problem recommending it.
I simply love this movie & what Veronica accomplished. Thank you for starting the name of the book it is from. each time i watch the movie again, I want to read the book. What a wonderful.love story. It sounds as though the book is not the same… Thank you again. I dabbled with the prostitute thing. I didn’t have what it took. I went back to get an education & finish raising my children. It takes an extremely strong woman…our lots of drugs & or alcohol. 😉
Sincerely,
Rose
I have always idolized VF… The title of my blog, “The Online Diary of a Gay Courtesan,” is a reference/homage to her. 🙂 I’m going to Venice tomorrow for a week with a client. I chose Venice specifically to see her home.
I’m envious of your trip ; -D have a wonderful time.
Reblogged this on Sonia Elizabeth Di Placido and commented:
La Cortigiana Poetessa Veronica Franco is truly an important aspect of my personal narrative and influence by way of ancestors and Italian cultural roots that has informed my own personal journey to discovering the voice within; I am indeed a Poet/Poetessa.
Ode To Veronica, cortigiana onesta
Venice enchanted, masked city.
I wonder how it must have been
to hear a woman cite poetry in your streets?
Poetry, the highest calling,
an insufferable art,
not for the feeble-minded;
certainly not for the under-educated,
upper-crust ladies.
…
It must have been very interesting to hear poetic duels, the precursor to the poetic, Spoken Word, so trendy today. I’m sure that back then, during the Renaissance, it was completely untraveled terrain for a woman to match wits with other poets.
Veronica Franco, in that respect was a pioneer, highly educated, beautiful and witty.
I was under the impression that salonnières were birthed in France? After reading about Veronica, I’m second guessing myself, It could be that she was a precursor to that too.
Either way, she has my deepest respect and admiration. That she was a Puttana, well, everyman desires that of their women, in some way or another. After all how many women get painted by Tintoretto? Least I forget, survivor of the inquisition too? Not many escaped that horrible fate.
I enjoyed this post and one day would enjoy reading about your experiences as a, call girl.
Sam
[…] happened at a time when women received greater restriction toward their freedom. For example Veronica Franco the Honest Courtesan from Venice, despite her ending was rather sad. However according to Maggie McNeill she was able to participate […]
I came across this by accident. For several years I have been writing poetry to/about Veronica Franco. In my poems, she and I inhabit a Venice that shifts imperceptibly between her time and mine (so one is never surprised to find her wearing Versace); I love her, but my love is barely requited, as her focus is usually toward men, but still she tolerates my company, calling me affectionately her ‘Maria di legno’. In the poem I will link to, Venice melds with my modern Dundee, and she and I visit.
https://kvennarad.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/veronica-franco-and-i-visit-dundee/
Not all my ‘Veronica’ poems are blogged. Some have been published in magazines, and I am just writing a few new ones for an ezine that wants to feature my work.
I greatly enjoyed your potted bio of VF, and am only sorry I came to it so late.
Best wishes,
Marie Marshall.
[…] romance or moralizing hand-wringing. Not every ho had a career like Madame de Pompadour or Veronica Franco, but they weren’t all tragic soiled doves desperate for “redemption”, either. […]
I just watched the movie and “googled” about her. But I didn’t see anything about her relationship with Marco Vernier… Do you know anything about ir?
[…] called Sakura. Recently, a friend captured one of these readings. The theme of the night was Veronica Franco‘s Venice. I had fun doing this interpretation of an old story… hope it brings a smile […]
One of my favourite women in history and a strength that can be inspiring for ages.
[…] https://maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/veronica-franco/ […]
[…] The Honest Courtesan […]