Dear Peter,
As Jane Everson says Gabrina from Orlando Furioso. There is
also a `filone' of references to physical ugliness in
Decameron, especially with repeated references to the
Baronci family which runs through Day Six in particular.
After passing through the story about Giotto and Forese da
rabatta, this trend reaches its sort of natural climax in
the tenth story (Fra Cipolla) in the brilliant portrait of
Guccio Balena and his lady love Nuta (`con un viso che
parea de' Baronci'). These references are surely more than
casual. I also recall a vivid description of Machiavelli's
(to Vettori?) of having sex with an ugly old woman (quoted
in Martelli, `Una giarda fiorentina', but I haven't got
ref.). What about Michelangelo after the Sistine chapel?
Best wishes,
Paul
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PROFESSOR PAUL DIFFLEY
HEAD OF ITALIAN DEPARTMENT
EXETER UNIVERSITY
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