Maria Antonia Scalera Stellini

Maria Antonia Scalera Stellini was a 17th-century Italian poet and playwright.

Life

Born into a modest family in Apulia, in southern Italy, Scalera spent her youth in a convent. Following the wishes of her family, she left the convent to be married, but was soon widowed with two children. She remarried the Tuscan Silvestro Stellini, an official of Prince Agostino Chigi, a nephew of Pope Alexander VII, and went to live in their palaces at Ariccia and in Rome. Her poetic works qualified her to be received in the Academy of Arcadia on June 20, 1694, where she was named "Aricia Gnateatide".

Works

In 1677, in Rome, she published a collection of poems in two volumes entitled Li divertimenti poetici ("The poetic entertainments"), which was reprinted in 1706. She also published the plays and musical dramas La Tirannide abbattuta dal trionfo della fede, Serenata spirituale, La ninfa del Tebro, Il trionfo di sant'Agata and Il Coraspe redivivo. The latter was staged in Ariccia in 1683.

Se 'l mio Canto havrà propizia sorte
Io saprò soggiogar Marte ed Astrea,
Vincer il Tempo e incatenar la Morte.

— Li divertimenti poetici, Proemio