Veronica Franco, the Famous Courtesan of Venice
It’s high time to bring a courtesan from the past into the spotlight once again. As a high-class escort service in Amsterdam and other locations, we don’t step forward as The Courtesan Club without reason. During the Renaissance, Veronica Franco (1546 – 1591) was one of the most renowned courtesans in Venice. This period of history, also known as the Renaissance, distinguished between two types of courtesans: the cortigiana di lume (courtisans of the lower classes) and the cortigiana onesta (intellectual courtesans).
Veronica Franco belonged to the latter category and moved in the highest circles of the city. Veronica was a well-educated woman who knew exactly what she wanted. In a male-dominated society, she stood her ground as a 16th-century high-class escort.
Talents and Natural Charms
Women in the Renaissance period had little power and were divided into the ‘good’ (aristocracy) and the ‘bad’ (the rest). But despite not being part of the aristocracy, Veronica Franco managed to step into the spotlight among the city’s elite. Not surprisingly, Veronica was the daughter of a cortigiana onesta. Her mother trained her and taught her to use her talents and natural charms to secure a financially advantageous marriage.
As a teenager, she married a wealthy doctor. However, after a few years, this marriage ended in failure. Before she turned eighteen, she had her first child. To support herself, Veronica offered her services as a courtesan to wealthy men. Soon, she moved in the circles of high nobility. One of the most captivating figures was French King Henry III, with whom she had a brief affair. In doing so, she already gave a nod to what we now refer to as the girlfriend experience.
Prominent Courtesan in Venice
In 1565, Veronica was listed in Il Catalogo di tutte le principale e più honorate cortigiane di Venezia. This catalog included the names, addresses, and fees of the most important courtesans in Venice. She was only 20 years old at the time. Her mother was listed as the one to whom men had to pay. Later, Veronica was mentioned in the catalog—essentially a classic list of high-class escorts—as one of the most prominent courtesans in the city. This was also due to the fact that she was an intellectual woman. She wasn’t just a high-class courtesan, she was also a poetess. Highly educated, she wrote two poetry collections: Terze rime in 1575 and Lettere familiari a diversi in 1580. She compiled anthologies of works by famous writers and published books of letters.
Feminist and Humanist at Heart
What makes Veronica Franco even more fascinating is her feminist and humanist spirit. She used her success as a courtesan and writer as a platform to establish a charity for courtesans and their children. She herself had six children, three of whom died young.
Refined and Strong High-Class Escort of Her Time
One of her most famous quotes reads: “If we are armed and trained, we can convince men that we have hands, feet, and hearts like theirs. And although we are refined and gentle, there are men who are refined and strong, and others who are crude and harsh, who are cowardly. Women don’t realize this yet, but if they were to decide to do so, they would be able to fight to the death. To prove that I speak the truth, I will be the first among so many women to act and set an example for them to follow.”
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