PISCOPIA, ELENA CORNARO

Natural philosopher (1646 - 1684)

She was a prodigy of learning. She received a doctorate in philosophy at Padua in the presence of thousands of scholars. The University had a medal coined in her honor and still has a marble statue of her. Vassar College in New York has a stained glass window depicting her achievements. She studied Latin, Greek, music, theology and mathematics and eventually learned Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldaic (the language of an ancient region of southern Mesopotamia), and also French, English and Spanish. She studied philosophy and astronomy. Musically talented, by the time she was 17 years old she could sing, compose, and play instruments such as the violin, harp, and harpsichord. This is all well worth a statue and a window or two.

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