Republican Echoes and Women’s Freedom in Italy. From Rosa Califronia’s “Breve difesa dei diritti della donna” to the Triennio giacobino

This chapter aims to offer a detailed overview of the complex polyphony of women’s voices that arose in Italy in the late 18th century in support of the republican cause. Beginning with Breve Difesa dei Diritti delle Donne [Brief Defence of Women’s Rights], a small volume published by Rosa Califronia, a ‘Roman countess’, in 1794, the analysis will focus on a number of contributions written by female patriot citizens during the Jacobin Triennium, from Veneto to Milan, and from Mantua to Genoa and Bologna. More in detail, this chapter will review orations and speeches, pamphlets and newspaper articles that helped enrich the debate on republican freedom by endowing it with a female point of view. Finally, some recurring patterns and themes will be highlighted in a fragmented yet broad landscape.