What is Vittoria Colonna?
[[File: Vittoria Colonna galeria colonna, rome.jpg|thumb|{{center|Portrait of Vittoria Colonna by Girolamo Muziano}}]] '''Vittoria Colonna''' (1490-1547), [[Marquis|marchioness]] of [[Pescara]], was an [[Italy|Italian]] [[Nobility|noblewoman]] and [[poet]].<ref name=Biography>[https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/efts/IWW/BIOS/A0011.html Colonna, Victoria]</ref> == Biography == Vittoria Colonna was born at [[Marino, Lazio]], [[Italy]]<ref name=Adwent>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04128b.htm Vitoria Colonna]</ref> in 1490.<ref name=Biography/> She was a daughter of Fabrizio Colonna and Agnese di Montefeltro.<ref name=Biography/> In 1509 she married [[Fernando d'Avalos|Francesco Ferrante D'Avalos]], who was the [[Marquis]] of [[Pescara]].<ref name=Biography/> He was a [[knight]] and was often absent from home. He took part in many [[battle]]s and wars. He was taken [[prisoner]] by the [[France|French]] in 1512.<ref name=Biography/> In 1525 he died from wounds after the [[battle of Pavia]].<ref name=Biography/> From that time Colonna, a childless [[widow]], lived in a [[nunnery]] although she did not become a [[nun]].<ref name=Biography/> She was the most admired woman poet in Italy during the [[Renaissance]].<ref name=Biography/> Vittoria Colonna died in [[Rome]]<ref name=Adwent/> in 1547.<ref name=Biography/> == Works == The first [[wikt:edition|edition]] of Colonna's book of poems, named ''Rime'' (''Rhymes'') was [[published]] in 1538. They turned out to be very [[wikt:popular|popular]]. There were twelve editions of the book published before she died. Vittoria Colonna was admired for her poetry by [[Ludovico Ariosto]].<ref name=Encyclopaedia>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vittoria-Colonna Vitoria Colonna, Italian poet]</ref> She was a friend of many other poets and [[artist]]s, [[Jacopo Sannazzaro]], [[Pietro Bembo]], [[Baldassare Castiglione]] and especially [[Michelangelo]].<ref name=Biography/> Colonna wrote [[sonnet]]s, ''[[canzone]]'' (songs) and short poems in [[ottava rima]]. She wrote also a longer p