Maria d'Aragona

[2] It was here that Maria met Sannazaro, Tansillo, and Bernardo Tasso who would entertain her in later life at her own salons in Naples, Milan, and Pavia.

During the 1530s, Maria, Giovanna d'Aragona, Costanza d'Avalos, Vittoria Colonna, and Giulia Gonzaga became disciples of the theologian Juan de Valdés.

After Charles V promoted Del Vasto to Governor, Maria remained loyal to Valdés’s disciple, Pietro Carnesecchi, and she continued to correspond to Cardinal Seripando, who was under attack by Inquisitors in Rome.

They included Paolo Giovio, Girolamo Muzio, Pietro Aretino, Giulio Camillo and Bernardo Spina, who had taken part in Costanza’s circle.

On May 13, 1547, the Viceroy of Naples, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, turned against his people, closed the city’s literary academics, and imprisoned their leaders, Ferrante, Carafa and Angelo di Costanzo.

One year later, editor Girolamo Ruscelli published a tribute to Maria d’Aragona under the title “A lecture … on a sonnet in honor of the divine lady the Marchese del Vasto”.

[8] The Venetian editor Lodovico Dolce announced the publication of the first of four anthologies featuring Napoleonic writers who had participated in Maria d’ Aragona’s circle.