Valeria Miani

Valeria Miani (1563 – 1620) was a playwright noted for her works Celinda, a Tragedy, and Amorosa Speranza. She was from the Republic of Venice. Miani married Domenico Negri in 1593, with whom she had five children, Isabetta, Isabella, Lucretia, Giulio, and Anzolo. Miani is known for being the first woman to publish a tragedy prior to the 18th century. In addition, she was the third woman in Italy to write in the newly popular genre, the pastoral. Miani's works explored themes such as cross-dressing, death and punishment, female virtue, and female resilience.

Early life Miani was born in the year 1563, most likely in the northern Italian city of Padua. There is written record of Miani having two siblings, a brother who was a priest and a sister named Cornelia. Miani most likely had more siblings, as there would have been another son who would be the heir in the family. It would have been unlikely in this time period for a family to have their only son enter into the clergy, and have no son to continue the family line. This academy was founded in 1599, and was the first academy to be established in Padua. Among its 25 founders was Galileo Galilei, famed Italian astronomer and philosopher. Decades after Valeria Miani had contact with the Ricovrati, the academy became known for its wide acceptance of women into its membership. It is not known however, if the Ricovrati allowed women to become members in Miani's time, and if so, whether or not Miani was a member.

Marriage and family

Miani got married on September 22, 1593, at the age of 30. Her husband was Domenico Negri, a man whose occupation is unknown. The place of her death is not known either, though it is likely that she passed somewhere in her home country of Italy.

Works

Amorosa Speranza

Miani's first pastoral drama, Amorosa Speranza was published in 1604. It took Miani six years to have her play published, having submitted it to her publisher in 1598. Her publisher and editor Francesco Bolzetta had the play in his possession for years before he decided to put it into print. Bolzetta was the primary publisher for the Ricovrati of Padua, the same academy which Miani was in contact with. By publishing Amorosa Speranza, Miani became the third woman in Italy to have ever published a nonreligious play. The play Amorosa Speranza appears to have not been written for print, but rather for performance. Multiple times during the play the performer addresses the audience, even so much as having the prologue of the performance primarily spoken to the audience. The plot of Amorosa Speranza revolves around the life of the virtuous sprite Venelia, who has been abandoned by her husband following their wedding night. Venezia struggles throughout the play to rid herself of the unwanted advances of two shepherds, Alliseo, and Isandro.

In Amorosa Speranza, Miani shields her two main characters from the satyrs and their deviance by having a third nymph be the one to outsmart and trick the satyr. By this third nymph deceiving the satyr who would want to do her harm, she is emphasizing the independence and autonomy that her female characters have within the story.

Celinda, A Tragedy

Miani's second published work, Celinda, a Tragedy, was published seven years after Amorosa Speranza, in 1611. The publishing of this play marked the first known tragedy written and published by an Italian woman. Just as Amorosa Speranza was, Celinda, a Tragedy was published by the official publisher for the Ricovrati, Francesco Bolzetta. During the time when Celinda was published, the tragedy genre was exploding in popularity, with approximately 60 new tragedies published in 1611. While Celinda enjoyed popularity in print, there is no record of it ever making it to the stage. This was due in part to the fact that audiences considered tragedies bad omens to watch. Additionally, these performances were very expensive to put on, due to the cost of hiring actors, and having to recreate the bloody and violent imagery detailed in the play. The plot of Celinda, a Tragedy follows the story of the title character, 15 year old princess Celinda, and her prohibited relationship with Persian prince Autilio. Despite the fact that the two meet under false pretenses, with Autilio disguised as a woman, they fall in love. The entirety of the play details the horror and tragedy that befalls the two young lovers, complete with suicide and vendettas, both common motifs in the tragedy genre.