The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-19
GIRLS, BIOGRAPHICAL STUDIES.
BY CHARLOTTE BREWSTER JohpAN'
u.-yITTORIA COLoNNA.

4
Those who remember the prominent
dates OF history through their associa''ol
with other important events Will % a.
sisted In remembering the time Oh 'it'o4 i y
| Colonua. the celebrated Italian woman
/ poet. by hearing in mind that she "sS
contemporary with tne three great toi
I which brought about the Renaissanee VI
the spirit of adventure Wnlcn oote u y,
I in the time OF Columbus, the inVen0Vn "
printing and the consequent revival OF
/ classic learning. She was born just I've
years before Columbus discovered Amer
: lea; she was the friend OF Tasso aud nus
literary constituency, and she so sottenea
by her friendship the temperament any
work OF the rugged Michael Angelo tna'
1 her influence was indelibly stamped upon
I the maturer work OF this king among
artists.
At the time OF vittoria Colonna's birtr
! 1490) the family estates, already yer!
! large, had been greatly enriched by gin
+ OF many beautiful towns and castles from
Martha the Colonna pope, great uncle
OF Vittoria's father 1t was in one OF these
newly acquired strongholds, the castle o.
Gondolfo, whose wooded heights over
looked the lake of Albano and the pictur'
esquely walled but gloomy town OF Ma
1NA--
She was not destined, however, to remain
long In this feudal retreat, where the tur'
bulent Colonnas and their kindred the
Orsinis, raided and harried each others
fiefs much in the manner OF the royal Dor
der warriors of Scotland.
In order to cement more firmly the shift
ing allegiance which the prlncely Colonna%
had sworn to Ferdinand, king OF Aragon
this monarch arranged a marriage be
tween Vittoria, then q child of years
and his subject, Ferdinand d'Ayalos, sol
of the Marquis OF Pescara, little boy
Of her own age. As this childish betrothal
was decided upon with about as much
sentiment as feudal lord would display
in bartering his serfs, it Is rather surprls-
ing to learn that the openly mercenary
| transaction turned out most favorably fol-
these prlncely children. Immediately
after her betrothal Vittoria was sent to
the island Of Ischia, the home of her future
husband, that she might be educated with
him under the care of the widowed Con-
stanza d'Avalos, Duchess Of Francavilia
the young Pescara's elder sister Thi,
remarkable woman by royal appointment
had been made governor and chatelaine
of 1schia, one OF the most important key:
of the kingdom. In this capacity sh,
showed rare prudence aud energy and as
an eminently cultured woman gathered tc
her island home the finest intellects oil
the day. In this delightful atmosphere
Vittoria and Ferdinand developed congo
NAL literary tastes and passed most hap
PLY and affectionately the days of theil
betrothal.
When they reached the age of II their
marriage was celebrated in Ischia with
much pomp and ceremony. The flower Of
Italy. sailing homeward in their beauti-
fully appointed boats from the island we'd
ding, pronounced tho bride and groom 10
be mentally and physically OF the mobiles.
partrician type. Among the family
archives IN the Colonna palace Is tn be
found a most painstaling document eettir .
forth the merits. color and price OF the
elaborate gifts exchanged by bride and
bridegroom. The two-year honeymoon
following this brilliant wedding has fire.
queutlv been alluded 70 ,,v vittoria AZ tina
truly happy part Of he. life.
At the end OF this time Italy was about
to enter upon that period generally known
as the second dark age In her history.
During the three years between 1493 and
1896, Naples had been governed. more
literally, plundered, BY FIVE kings. Milan,
too had proved a tempting bone OF con
tentton for which the kings Of France and
Spain were CARRYING or bloody warfare
the pope siding with Spain while Venice
aided France. When one considers that
this yeasty ferment was but typical NJ the
upheavals convulsing oil parts Of italy
one can better comprehend the state 81
affairs which URGED volrg Pescara IN leave
his bride. buckle on his shield bearing
the ancient motto. with this or on MS i
and Join his father-in-'nw IN the fields o,
Lombardy In the early part OF his ca
reer fving visits home which or,d,,o1r
became more hurried ar1 less frequent
renewed the sternness % his life. He was
istt Tor dead upon the field OF Ravenna
nut recovered from his wounds during .
short tmprisonment at Milan. While her.
he diverted himself somewhat after Nc
fashion consnicuous In Marlborough nv
writing "Dialcgo d'Amore" inscribed -
MS WIFE Her reply In poem 1f2 lines
long is noteworthy not as much on ac-
count of its ingenious elegance and trlte.
ness as because 1t is the first OF her Writ
ings upon which her claim as poet wa.
founded. was
In lschia Vittoria strove to prove herseI,
as true a soldiers wife as she had haer
soldiers daughter and beguiled Pescaro,s
absence by her studies with the noted wits
and scholars of the day and by deyosins
herself to the education and moral de-
velopment of her adopted son, Alph1nso
d'Avalcs. the cousin and heir OF her bus-
band Vittoria discovered IN this beauti-
ful but somewhat hayward boy a fine IN
tellect and the materials of a noble man
These she so carefully developed that tbe
little tanned lion soon loved her as = son.
became brave, renowned man and al
ways looked upon his gentle, chlldless