Isabella Cortese

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I secreti de la Signora Isabella Cortese, 1561

Isabella Cortese was a 16th century Italian alchemist (chemist).

Life

No mentions of the alleged author could be found in documents. She only appears as the author of the book I secreta de la Signora Isabella Cortese from 1561, which saw several editions (11 editions in Venice until 1677) and was translated into German. The book is one of the earliest chemistry books by women, apart from Maria the Jewess and even before Marie Meurdrac (1666) in France, of whose book an Italian translation was published in Venice in 1682. Similar to the later book by Meurdrac, in addition to chemical recipes there are also many for remedies and cosmetics in the tradition of the cookbook literature. Instructions for making gold can be found as well as instructions for dentifrices and erectile agents. She does not think much of alchemical authorities (such as Geber , Arnaldus de Villanova , Ramon Llull ), claims to have experimented a lot herself and only then came to real knowledge and instructs readers to keep silent about their own discoveries to make a profit from them.

Since no documentary references to the author were found, it was assumed that the name of the author was a pseudonym and that the author was in fact Timotheo Rossello who wrote the book Della summa de'secreti uniuersali in ogni materia parte prima di Don Timotheo Rossello im published by the same publisher in 1559 and 1561. Both books are dedicated to Marino Caboga, Archdeacon of Ragusa .

Fonts

  • I secreti de la Signora Isabella Cortese, ne'qvali si contengono cose minerali, medicinali, arteficiose, & alchimiche, & molte de l'arte profumatoria, appartenenti a ogni gran signora: con altri bellissimi secreti aggiunti. Giovanni Bariletto, Venice 1561, 1565, archives .
    • German translation: Hidden secret arts and miracles in alchemy, medicine and chyrurgia. Hamburg 1592, 1596 and Frankfurt 1596

literature

  • Jette Anders : 33 alchemists. The hidden side of an ancient science. Past Publishing , Berlin 2016, ISBN 9783864082047 .
  • Bruce T. Moran: Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy, Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution. Harvard UP 2005

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jo Wheeler Renaissance Secrets
  2. ↑ Jo Wheeler Renaissance Secrets: Recipes and Formulas , Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2009
personal data
SURNAME Cortese, Isabella
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian alchemist (chemist)
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century or 16th century
DATE OF DEATH 16th century or 17th century