Maria Francesca Rossetti

Maria Francesca Rossetti ( born February 17, 1827 in London, † November 24, 1876 in London) was a British author in the Victorian era and a nun, founded in London by Harriet Brownlow Byron 1851 first Anglican Order of "All Saints Sisters of the Poor ".

Life

Her father, Gabriele Rossetti, was a refugee from Naples who had found in England for political asylum, and her mother, Frances Mary Lavinia Polidori, daughter of Gaetano Polidori was. Mary was the eldest of the four siblings Dante Gabriel (1828-1882), William Michael (1829-1919) and Christina Georgina ( 1830-1894 ). In a budget of exceptionally gifted children, all born within four years, Maria has always been regarded by their parents and siblings as " the brightest spark". But it is the least known of Rossetti's, even though she was like her sister and her brothers a published author to several quite different themes.

Mary was a nondescript child with a round face and received by her pretty younger sister Christina the rather unfriendly nickname " moon face " ( Moony ). Her father used to call " ingegnosa Maria " ( the wise ) and when she was ten years old, she had developed a passion for the works of Homer and thirsted for more knowledge. Though her ​​mother was much better than most women of her generation educated and a more experienced teacher was, who taught their daughters at home, they had no access to Latin and Greek Maria, however, was to study the situation Italian -. they later taught at a high level - under the supervision of her grandfather Gaetano Polidori. For a while she tried on their own to master the classics of an improvised correspondence course about their brothers who attended the school. Inevitably, she could not hold it over their mid-teens and instead their considerable intellectual energy channeled into religious devotion.

With her mother and Christina Maria discovered in 1843, a new movement in the Anglican Church. By participating in the worship of Christ 's Church in Albany Street, where the charismatic pastor William Dodsworth officiated, who was very popular in the standing at the beginning of the Oxford Movement, Maria and Christina found their job for the rest of their lives.

In 1848, the Präraffaelitesche brotherhood was formed under the leadership of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Mary came in regular contact with the " brothers " who often met at the Charlotte Street in an upstairs room. Like her mother, and Christina was amused by all this, Maria. Although they showed brief interest first at Charles Allston Collins, brother of Wilkie Collins, the novelist, and then to John Ruskin, after the repeal of the marriage, that this had no relationship developed and Mary remained single.

At seventeen, Mary accepted a position as governess at Gertrude Thynne, a niece of Lady Bath on. Due to the illness of his father also had to help support the family. She was gone not like from home. A year later she took a similar job with the family Read. On April 26, 1854, Father Gabriele died.

For many years she was at home private Italian and other lessons. In this case, their own developed for learning the Italian language. Her two textbooks published " Exercises in Idiomatic Italian " and " Aneddoti italiani " in 1866.

She was almost entirely responsible for the formation of the then ten- year-old Lucy Brown, daughter of the artist Ford Madox Brown. Lucy married in 1874 Mary's brother William. After William estimate, Maria earned in the mid-1860s over £ 100 a year through their teaching

In 1860 she became a novice of "All Saints Sisterhood ', Margaret Street, the first Anglican orders, which had been founded by the Rev. Upton Richards and Harriet Brownlow Byron 1851. As a novice she could continue to live with their family.

Always talented and happy in the practical application of their unwavering faith, she took an active role in the care of souls. Maria gave Bible studies at Christ Church, and the " Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge " ( Society for the Propagation christl. Belief ) SPCK published its "Letters to my Bible class " in 1872, although they were written earlier.

As a scholar Maria published her 1871 book "A Shadow of Dante ," a guide to the study of Dante Alighieri's works, which was intended for the general public. She dedicated it to her father Gabriele. The book contains an introductory chapter to explain the structure of the poem and also the different hymns, followed by an annotated anthology that contains large excerpts of the verses. The Divine Kömödie describes Dante's journey through Hell ( Inferno ), for Purgatory ( Purgatorio ), up to Paradise ( Paradiso ). Maria preferred to the passages from the " Vita Nuova " translate itself as Dante Gabriel resorting freer and already famous translation. In a letter Dante Gabriel Mary described book as " a summary and overview of the most thoroughly executed. ' Even the American editor James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) praised her book as" by far the best comment that is published in the English language ". It is still considered one of the best available introductions to Dante's works. Both agnostic brothers regretted the waste of Maria's impressive academic talent she now devoted good works and religion. Dante Gabriel later claimed once that " they may all of us would have surpassed. " For his translations he took like Mary Council in stylistic questions a.

Maria exerted a strong influence on Christina from her unwavering strength she drew from the religion, so that the younger sister often felt weak and inadequate. Christina, in fact, never seemed the joy of life in faith reach, bubbled from the Maria. It was half doubting, half amused Christina, who told a quasi- comical anecdote that Mary was afraid the mummy room to visit the British Museum, if the doomsday should come unexpectedly and cause could be that the mummies to life awakened.

The cordial relationship between the two sisters, Lizzie and Laura, in the famous poem by Christina " Goblin Market " (published 1862), is interpreted as representing the near Christina and Maria. She had dedicated it Mary.

In July 1873 Maria their long-delayed decision, the "All Saints Sisterhood " was to join as a full member. William marriage was imminent, so domestic changes were inevitable. Also Maria were the first symptoms of cancer already known: if they do not now makes this step, it would be too late soon. Her illness worsened during 1875 to 1876 and she stayed several times at the hospital of the sisterhood in Eastbourne on.

Maria Rossetti died on 24 November 1876 at the sorority house in Margaret Street and was buried at the monastery reserved for part of the Brompton Cemetery.

Publications

• Exercises in idiomatic Italian through literal translation from the English. Publisher: Williams and Norgate, London 1867
• " Aneddoti italiani "
• A Shadow of Dante: Being an Essay Towards Studying Himself, His World and His Pilgrimage. Publisher: Robert Brothers, Boston 1872
• Other output ( easier to read ) A Shadow of Dante, Being an Essay Towards Studying Himself, His World and His Pilgrimage. Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, Boston ( 1904)
• Letters to my Bible Class ( 1872)
• The Day Hours ( 1875) - translation of the Latin