ABSTRACT
Women writers have been a presence in Italian literature since the thirteenth century, when Compiuta Donzella wrote her sonnets. Italian poetry, considered nobler than prose, was widely cultivated. As a result, Italian women poets were honored during the Renaissance and Ludovico Domenichi published the first anthology of Italian women poets in 1559. Women took part in all literary activities, but not always with the same success. Modern scholars have discovered more women poets and novelists than playwrights. This is due to three major factors: Italy has relatively few great playwrights; plays are not very suitable for short selections; and the Italian stage has been in a serious decline since the advent of cinema. But Italian women wrote for the stage and, from the fifteenth century onward, contributed to the performing arts as actresses, singers, dancers, players of various instruments, and composers.
