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Veronica Franco (1546–1591) was an Italian poet and courtesan in 16th-century Venice. == Life as a courtesan == Renaissance Venetian society recognized two different classes of courtesans: the ''cortigiana onesta,'' the intellectual courtesan, and the ''cortigiana di lume,'' lower-class prostitutes who tended to live and practise their trade near the Rialto Bridge.〔Margaret F. Rosenthal discusses this distinction in her article, see below.〕 Veronica Franco was perhaps the most celebrated member of the former category, although she was hardly the only ''onesta'' in 16th-century Venice who could boast of a fine education and considerable literary and artistic accomplishments. The daughter of another ''cortigiana onesta'', Franco learned the art at a young age from her mother and was trained to use her natural assets and abilities to achieve a financially beneficial marriage. While still in her teens, Franco married a wealthy physician, but the union ended badly. In order to support herself, Franco turned to serving as a ''cortigiana'' to wealthy men. She quickly rose through the ranks to consort with some of the leading notables of her day and even had a brief liaison with Henry III, King of France. Franco was listed as one of the foremost courtesans of Venice in the ''Catalogo de tutte le principal et più honorate cortigiane di Venetia'' (published about 1565).〔(Floriana Calitti: FRANCO, Veronica. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 50 (1998) )〕 A well-educated woman, Veronica Franco wrote two volumes of poetry: ''Terze rime'' in 1575 and ''Lettere familiari a diversi'' in 1580. She published books of letters and collected the works of other leading writers into anthologies. Successful in her two lines of work, Franco also founded a charity for courtesans and their children. In 1575, during the epidemic of plague that ravaged the city, Veronica Franco was forced to leave Venice and lost much of her wealth when her house and possessions were looted. On her return in 1577, she defended herself with dignity before the Inquisition on charges of witchcraft (a common complaint lodged against courtesans in those days). The charges were dropped. There is evidence that her connections among the Venetian nobility helped in her acquittal. Her later life is largely obscure, though surviving records suggest that although she won her freedom, she lost all of her material goods and wealth. Eventually, her last major benefactor died and left her with no financial support. Although her fate is largely uncertain, she is believed to have died in relative poverty. () 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Veronica Franco」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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