C. Zaffini - Abstract

The manuscript Casanatense 3229 (end of the XVI century) has been here described, and a new interpretation of the poetry of Laura Battiferri Ammannati (Urbino, 1523 - Florence, 1589) is provided. The study of the code revealed evident signals about the possible willingness of the poet to publish her lyrics, a project that however was never completed. Indeed, the manuscript was posthumously compiled by the Jesuits at the behest of Bartolomeo Ammannati (Laura’s husband, who probably attempted to realize her desire), and the paper suggests hypotheses about the abrupt interruption of the work. The Casanatense includes 381 poems whose arrangement justifies its complex structure: the code reveals the life of a woman in contact with many intellectuals, artists and also pro-reformed environments. After the detailed description of the content of the manuscript, along with metric, stylistic, rhetorical and lexical aspects, the spirituality of the poet has been investigated. Certainly, Laura Battiferri was able to fit perfectly into the Medici’s cultural and political circle, relying on illustrious friendships (e. g. Michelangelo and Benedetto Varchi) but especially on her undeniable abilities.