A Noblewoman Reader of Petrarca? The Cultural and Palaeographic Profile of Battista di Montefeltro Malatesti

Abstract

This contribution aims to trace the cultural, literary, and palaeographic profile of Battista di Montefeltro Malatesti (1384-1448), a noblewoman celebrated for her intellectual gifts by figures like Leonardo Bruni, as well as the author of texts in Latin and vernacular, in both prose and verse. By retracing the main stages of Battista’s education, the cultural milieus she came into contact with, and some of the channels through which her writings circulated, a network of clues and evidence emerges that connects her to early fifteenth-century humanism and makes it increasingly plausible that she was acquainted with the works of Petrarca. The essay also offers a palaeographic analysis of Battista’s handwriting, bringing to light several autograph specimens.