Bianca Laura Saibante (1723–1797) was an 18th-century Italian poet and playwright. Born into a wealthy family, she is considered one of the founders of the Accademia Roveretana degli Agiati in

Rovereto Rovereto (; "wood of sessile oaks"; locally: ''Roveredo'') is a city and ''comune'' in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River. History Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier b ...

Biography

Bianca was born on 17 May 1723 to Francesca Caterina Sbardellati and Girolamo Saibante in Rovereto, Italy. Her father was a successful merchant, and the Saibante family were considered part of the Italian nobility. The family was an important part of Rovereto high society, and often hosted local leaders and intellectuals at their residence; sources describe the Saibante home as being akin to a

literary salon A salon is a gathering of people held by an inspiring host. During the gathering they amuse one another and increase their knowledge through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "e ...

. Bianca was active in her family's activities, and in her youth was part of a literary circle her family was affiliated with. In 1750 Bianca, Giuseppe Valeriano Vannetti (an

esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

and

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

), local writer

Girolamo Tartarotti Girolamo Tartarotti ( la, Hieronymous Tartarotti;. 1706–1761) was an Italian abbot, Neo-Platonist, and writer, primarily famed for his works on witchcraft. Life Tartarotti was born at Rovereto near Trent and studied at the University of Padua ...

, and several other prominent residents of Rovereto announced their intent to turn the Saibantes' literary circle into a proper academy. The new institution—based on the

Accademia degli Arcadi The Accademia degli Arcadi or Accademia dell'Arcadia, "Academy of Arcadia" or "Academy of the Arcadians", was an Italian literary academy founded in Rome in 1690. The full Italian official name was Pontificia Accademia degli Arcadi. History F ...

in Rome—was concerned with stimulating the intellectual environment in Rovereto, which Bianca's co-founder Tartarotti lamented was “only abundant in silk, cocoons and silkworms”. The new academy was named the Accademia Roveretana degli Agiati di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, and was intended to be accessible to both the middle and upper classes. Bianca—who used the pseudonym Atalia Sabina Canburi—contributed heavily to the academy's successes; she corresponded with other European intellectuals, worked to promote the mission of the academy in Rovereto, and personally designed the academy's emblem.

Personal life

In 1754, Bianca married Giuseppe Valeriano Vannetti, a fellow co-founder of the Accademia Roveretana. She gave birth to a son, Clementino Vannetti, in 1755. Her husband died in 1764, and Bianca herself died in Rovereto in 1797.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saibante, Bianca Laura 1797 deaths 1723 births People from Rovereto 18th-century Italian poets 18th-century Italian women writers Italian salon-holders Women founders