Microstorie magistrali: Emma Tettoni fra carduccianesimo e reti emancipative

Abstract

Emma Tettoni (Novara, 1859 – Bergamo, 1891) was a teacher in secondary schools for women, headmistress of the Scuola normale femminile in Rovigo (Italy), student of Giosuè Carducci at Bologna University (1879-1881) and classmate of Giovanni Pascoli and Giulia Cavallari Cantalamessa. She devoted her life to teaching and writing, considering them prerequisites for female emancipation. Moving from her correspondence with the great Italian poet - teacher, but also from her female friendship network, it is possible to trace the phases of her arduous life as social and professional engaged young woman. Because of the novelty of her ideas, expressed in education lectures (on love, women’s work, women scientists and the faults of Italian mothers), she suffered the painful ostracism of conservative factions. In 1890 she joined the organization of VI Centenary of Beatrice Portinari, in Florence.