Nogarole, Isotta

Nogarole, Isotta a lady of Verona, of a family celebrated for the wisdom, piety, and beauty of its women, was born in 1428. She was a great philosopher and divine, mistress of several languages, and of an eloquence surpassing all. the orators of Italy. She made a most eloquent speech at the Council of Mantua, convened by pope Pius II, that all Christian princes might enter into a league against the Turks. She wrote elaborate epistles not only to him, but to his predecessor, Nicholas V, and a Dialogue, in which she disputed which was most guilty, Adam or Eve. This work was published after her death, under the title of Dialogus quo utrun Adam vel Eva magis peccaverit, quaestio satis nota, sed non adeo explicata continetur (Venice, 1563, 4to). Some of her works coming to the siglit of cardinal Bessarion, that illustrious patron of literature was so taken with her genius that he made a journey from Rome to Verona purely to pay her a visit. She died in 1446. See Maffei, Verona Illust.; riraboschi, Storia, della letteratura Italiana, vol. vi, pt. ii, p. 185; Ginguien, Hist. litter. de l'Italie, iii 447, 556.