Elena Cornaro Piscopia - The world's first female doctor of philosophy

Elena Cornaro Piscopia was born on June 5, 1646, was a noble-born Venetian philosopher, one of the first women to receive an academic degree from a university and in 1678 she became a woman The first female in the world to receive a PhD.

Elena Cornaro Piscopia comes from a noble background

Elena Cornaro Piscopia: "The prodigy of Venice".(Photo: wikipedia).

She is the third child of Gianbattista Cornaro-Piscopia and his mistress Zanetta Boni. Her mother is a farmer and her parents are not married at the time she was born.

Elena was technically not a member of the Cornaro family at birth, because Venice's law forbade the illegitimate children of nobles from noble privileges, even when admitted.

Worse for the case of Zanetta, she came from an extremely poor farming family. Zanetta has fled to Venice to escape hunger, and soon realizes he is the mistress of one of the most powerful aristocratic dynasties of the Republic.

A commemorative stele in Venice, recognizing the birthplace of Elena Cornaro Piscopia.(Photo: wikipedia).

Gianbattista and Zanetta were officially married in 1654, but his sons were forbidden to access noble privileges.

In 1664, her father was chosen to become the treasurer of St. Mark's, a position that is longing for Venice nobility. At that time, her father was second only to Venice's Doge in terms of priority.

Because of this connection, Elena Cornaro Piscopia stood out in celebration of the Marriage on the Sea, although she was illegally born.

Her father tried to arrange marriage for her many times. She rejected each person's progress, because she swore to keep her innocence at the age of eleven.

As a young girl, Elena Cornaro Piscopia was seen as a prodigy. Following the advice from Giovanni Fabris, a priest who is a friend of the family, she began a classic education.

She studied Latin and Greek under outstanding instruction, and soon mastered these languages ​​at the age of seven, including French and Spanish.

She is also fluent in Hebrew, Spanish, French and Arabic, gaining the title "Oraculum Septilingue" . Her later studies included mathematics, philosophy and theology.

Elena came to become a musician. In addition to mastering sciblis in her time, that means she has mastered almost all of the knowledge, Elena Cornaro Piscopia mastered the harpsichord, clavichord, harp and violin. Her skills are expressed through the music she composed in her life.

In her teens and twenties, she became interested in physics, astronomy and linguistics.

Elena Cornaro Piscopia passed the discrimination for a doctorate

Following the introduction of Carlo Rinaldini, her philosopher tutor, Felice Rotondi, petitioned the University of Padua to grant Cornaro the laurel tree in theology.

When Cardinal Gregorio Barbarigo, Bishop of Padua, knew that she was pursuing a degree in theology, he refused on the grounds that she was a woman.

However, he allowed her to obtain a degree in philosophy and after a great course received the laurel in Philosophy.

The statue of Elena Cornaro Piscopia at Palazzo Bo.

The diploma was awarded on June 25, 1778, at the Padua Church in front of the University government, professors of all faculties, students, and most Venetian Senators, along with many guests from the University of Bologna, Perugia, Rome and Napoli.

Elena spoke for an hour in classical Latin, explaining the difficult passages randomly chosen from Aristotle's works.

She was listened very attentively, and when she was finished, she received praise when Professor Rinaldini proceeded to give her the laurel's badges, philosophical books, to put laurels on her head, the ring on her finger, and on her shoulder is mozetta ermine.

This scene is illustrated in the Cornaro Window on the Western Wing of the Thompson Memorial Library at Vassar University.

After graduation, Margaret Alicia announced that she became a mathematics lecturer at the University of Padua in 1678. She became a member of many different academies and was honored throughout Europe for her achievements and virtues. she

The last seven years of her life were devoted to learning and charity. She died in Padua in 1684 for tuberculosis, buried in the church of Santa Giustina in Padua, and her statue was placed in the university.

Google logo doodles on the 373 year anniversary of Elena Cornaro Piscopia's birth.(Google Photos).

Her death was marked by memorial services in Venice, Padua, Siena and Rome. Her works, published at Parma in 1688, include academic lectures, translations and devotional treatises.

In 1685, the University of Padua made an honorable medal. In 1895, Abbess Mathilda Pynsent of the English Benedictine Sister in Rome opened Elena's tomb, the remains were placed in a new coffin and a suitable tablet was recorded in her memory.