#bettina d'andrea

[city-of-ladies]

In 1405, the French writer Christine de Pizan was finishing her Book of the City of Ladies. A response to sexist prejudices and literature, her writings highlighted women's contributions to history and society.

Advocating in favor of women’s education, she wrote of Novella d’Andrea, daughter of Italian jurist Giovanni d’Andrea (c.1275-1348):

To give you a similar, more recent example, without going back to ancient history, there is the case of the famous jurist Giovanni Andrea. He taught at Bologna not quite sixty years ago. He, too, did not share the opinion that education would corrupt women, so he had his lovely and cherished daughter Novella educated in literature and law. When he was busy with other tasks and unable to lecture his students, he would send Novella in his place to present the lecture. In order to ensure that her beauty did not distract her audience, she lectured from behind a small curtain. In that way, she complemented her father and sometimes lightened his load. He loved her so much that he wanted to commemorate her name, so he authored an important legal treatise and named it after his daughter Novella. 

Christine draws a parallel between hers and Novella's story. Her father was supportive of her academic pursuits but her mother wanted her to focus on more traditionally feminine tasks such as spinning and weaving. 

The veracity of this story has been disputed. While some scholars have doubted it, others consider it reliable. Christine’s father had been an academic contemporary of Giovanni d’Andrea at Bologna and was still in contact with his family by 1351. She could thus have learned of Novella through him. 

It is sometimes written that Novella’s sister, Bettina, taught law at Padua. This is a sixteenth-century invention based on Novella’s story. It is however true that Giovanni d’Andrea used to ask his wife’s advice on legal questions. 

Feel free to check out my Ko-Fi if you like what I do! Your support would be much appreciated.

Further reading 

Clarke Peter D., “Giovanni d’Andrea”, in: Condorelli Orazio, Domingo Rafael (ed.), Law and the Christian Tradition in Italy: The Legacy of the Great Jurists            

De Pizan Christine, The Book of the city of ladies

[thetudorslovers]

Novella d’Andrea was the daughter of Giovanni d’Andrea (ca. 1270/75–1348), a distinguished professor of canon (church) law at the University of Bologna. Novella herself became a legal scholar, lecturing at the university in her father’s absence. Apparently quite beautiful, tradition has it that she delivered lectures from behind a curtain so as not to distract the students. Christine de Pizan alsol said that in her book.The same story is told of Bettisia Gozzadini.

Some suggest that she married the lawyer Giovanni Calderinus or the professor Giovanni Di Legnano, but, according to others sources she married the lawyer Filippo Formaglini in 1326. She died young. Her father supposedly gave his work about the decretals of Pope Gregory IX the name Novellae to her memory.

Her sister, Bettina d'Andrea, is reported to have taught law and philosophy at the university at Padua, where her husband Giovanni Da Sangiorgio was also employed, until her death in 1335.

[belskayatanya]

Новелла ди Андреа (в Болонье, дата неизвестна, умерла в 1333) — итальянский правовед и профессор права в Болонском университете. Будучи дочерью Джованни ди Андреа, она получила хорошее домашнее образование и нередко читала лекции вместо отца. Согласно Кристине Пизанской, она говорила со студентами из-за занавеса, чтобы её красота их не отвлекала.

Новелла вышла замуж за адвоката Йоханнеса Кальдерина и умерла молодой. Её отец назвал свой труд о декретах Папы Григория IX «Novellae» в память о ней.

Её сестра, Беттина ди Андреа, до самой смерти преподавала философию и право в университете в Падуе.

Литература

Jennifer S. Uglow, The Macmillan Dictionary of Women’s Biography, Macmillan, 1982.

Беттина ди Андреа (Bettina d'Andrea, родилась в Болонье, дата неизвестна, умерла в 1335) — итальянский правовед, профессор права и философии вПадуанском университете. Она была дочерью Джованни ди Андреа, профессора церковного права, и получила необходимые знания из рук отца. Преподаванием Беттина занялась после того, как вышла замуж за одного из профессоров Падуанского университета.

Её сестра, Новелла ди Андреа, до самой смерти преподавала право в университете в Болонье.

Литература

Jennifer S. Uglow, The Macmillan Dictionary of Women's Biography, Macmillan, 1982.