Laura de Noves

Laura de Noves (ca. 1308 - 1348) was the wife of Count Hugues de Sade (ancestor of the Marquis de Sade). She could be the Laura that the Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarch wrote about extensively; however she has never been positively identified as such. [New Standard Encyclopedia, 1992 by Standard Educational Corporation, Chicago, Illinois; page P-240] If so, it was at Avignon in the church of Saint Claire in the year 1327 that Petrarch first saw her. She was already married some two years before. Laura had a great influence on Petrarch's life and lyrics. The historical information on Laura is meager at best. Not much is known about her other than she did have a large family, was a virtuous wife, and died in 1348. Since this first encounter with Laura, Petrarch spent the next three years in Avignon singing his purely Platonic love and haunting Laura in church and on her walks. After this Petrarch left Avignon and went to Lombez (a French department of Gers) where he held a canonry gifted by Pope Benedict XII.

In 1337 he returned to Avignon and bought a small estate at Vaucluse to be near his dear Laura. Here for the next three years he wrote numerous sonnets in her praise. [American International Encyclopedia, publisher J.J. Little, New York 1954; reference article - 'Petrarch'] Petrarch's "Canzoniere" (Songbook) is the lyrics to her in the troubadour tradition of courtly love. They advanced the growth of Italian as a literary language. They also popularized this form of sonnet that is called "Petrarchan sonnet". Years after her death Petrarch wrote his "Trionfi", which is a religious allegory in which Laura is idealized. [New Standard Encyclopedia, 1992 by Standard Educational Corporation, Chicago, Illinois; page P-241]

External

[http://petrarch.petersadlon.com/laura.html Francesco Petrarch and Laura de Noves]

References