Colonna

Colonna, Vittoria (1490-1547), an Italian poetess, a member of the powerful Roman family Colonna, and daughter of Fabrizio Colonna, grand constable of Naples. She was betrothed when quite young to Francesco d'Avalos, son of the Marquis of Pescara, and married him when she was seventeen. In 1511 the husband fought in the Holy League, and was taken at Ravenna, and imprisoned in France. For some years the fortunes of war kept them apart, and they corresponded with each other in prose and verse. In 1525 Francesco died of his wounds at Milan, while his wife was on the road to meet him. She then gave herself to poetry, and wrote her Rime Spirituali. In 1538 she came to take up her abode in Rome, and there made several friendships, one friend being Reginald Pole, and another and most devoted friend being Michael Angelo. Owing to her brother's revolt against the Pope she had to leave Rome, and from 1541 to 1545 she lived at Viterbo, then governed by Reginald Pole. She returned to Rome the year before her death.