Title

Cereta's Needle and Pen

Description

Laura Cereta is a female humanist from Northern Italy who lived from 1469-1499. She primarily wrote letters, as an accepted way to spread her ideas and show off her skills. The letters which she writes are to varied audiences, some of which are fictitious but many are real.
As a humanist she was educated in ancient languages, history, philosophy, and the Renaissance responses to the ancients. All her early schooling took place in a convent where she had a mentor in the prioress. The prioress taught her how to constructively harness her insomnia, something that shaped Cereta for the rest of her life.
As a woman, she was expected to care for her family and the house. She was given almost complete control over her siblings and care of the house at 12 years old and was married at 15 to Pietro Serina. Serina died about 18 months after they were married. This was a devastating blow to Cereta, who mourned through her letters.
The letters which Cereta wrote were primarily focused on accepted humanist topics, however she would on occasion write lavishly detailed descriptions of her embroidery. These descriptions place the embroidery needle on an equal footing with the humanists pen.

Object Project created for HUST 324: Late Medieval and Renaissance Literature

Link to Project Website

list of authors

Anastasia Bradley

Mary Kate Luft

Lydia Heller

Shannon Weyer