The name Vanna (pronounced in Italian vän'-na and in English väh'na) first appears in recorded history circa 1294 in La Vita Nuova, a book of verse written by Dante Alighieri, an Italian Florentine poet. Dante Alighieri's greatest work, la Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy), is considered the greatest literary statement produced in Europe during the Middle Ages, and the basis of the modern Italian language. For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... La Vita Nuova (English: New Life) is a book of verse written by Dante Alighieri, roughly around the year of 1293. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy, on the Arno River, with a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000. ... ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

In La Vita Nuova, Dante writes of his ideal love, Beatrice (Beatrice Portinari) and Monna (Lady) Vanna, the beloved muse of Florentine poet Guido Cavalcanti. In one verse, Love identifies Vanna as 'Primavera' (Springtime) and proclaims Beatrice's “name is Love.” Although the details surrounding the life of Beatrice Portinari, pronounced bay-a-treech-eh, (1266-1290) are subject to much dispute, there is little doubt she was a major influence in Dante Alighieris life, influencing particularly his works of La Vita Nuova and La Divina Commedia. ... Cavalcanti and Dante Guido Cavalcanti (c. ... The Primavera is a painting by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli, c. ...

The Italian medieval name Vanna originated in Tuscany, particular to Florence. Though similar in pronunciation and conjectured to be a derivative of the name Giovanna, Vanna is not a nickname nor derivation. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Tuscany (Italian: ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ...

See also

• Guido Cavalcanti
• La Vita Nuova
• Dante Alighieri
• Italian literature
• Florence
• unrequited love

Cavalcanti and Dante Guido Cavalcanti (c. ... La Vita Nuova (English: New Life) is a book of verse written by Dante Alighieri, roughly around the year of 1293. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Italian literature is literature written in the Italian language, particularly by citizens of Italy. ... Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... Unrequited love is love that is not reciprocated, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. ...

Other

• Monna Vanna the play by Maurice Maeterlinck (modern drama, social significance of the new woman as a reborn, regenerated spirit)

• Monna Vanna painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Venetian ideal of female beauty)

• Henry Holiday; painting "Dante and Beatrice" by Henry Holiday depicting Dante, Beatrice and Vanna.

Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, Belgian author Count Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (August 29, 1862 - May 6, 1949) was a Belgian poet, playwright, and essayist. ... Dante Gabriel Rossetti (May 12, 1828 - April 10, 1882) was an English poet, painter and translator. ... Henry Holiday was an English Pre-Raphaelite artist, born on June 17, 1839 in London. ...

People with the given name Vanna

• Monna (Lady) Vanna, 13th century citizen of Florence, Italy, muse and love of Florentine poet Guido Cavalcanti

• Vanna Bonta Italian-American writer; given name by grandfather Luigi Ugolini at the famous Battistero di San Giovanni of Florence

• Vanna White (alternate pronunciation) American game show hostess

(12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... The Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistery of St John) is believed to be the oldest building in Florence. ... Vanna White (born Vanna Marie Rosich on February 18, 1957) is an American television personality, best known as the hostess and puzzle board operator on the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune. ...

Fiction

• Monna Vanna play by Belgian Dramatist Maurice Maeterlinck

• Monna Vanna movie at IMBD (story by Niccolò Machiavelli)

• Monna Vanna (opera) unfinished opera by Sergei Rachmaninov

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (May 3, 1469 – June 21, 1527) was an Italian political philosopher, musician, poet, and romantic comedic playwright. ... Monna Vanna (Russian:Монна Ванна) is an unfinished opera by Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) after Maurice Maeterlinck. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, also Sergey Rachmaninov or Serge Rakhmaninov (Серге́й Васи́льевич Рахма́нинов), (April 1, 1873 – March 28, 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist...

References

• Dante, Vita Nuova. Milano, Garzanti, 1982.

• Tobias Eisermann, Cavalcanti oder die Poetik der Negativität, Band 17 in Romanica et Comparatistica: Sprach- und literaturwissenschaftliche Studien, herausgegeben von Richard Baum und Willi Hirdt, Tübingen: Stauffenburg Verlag Brigitte Narr GmbH, 1992; ISBN

• AA.VV., Antologia della poesia italiana, ed C.Segre and C. Ossola. Torino, Einaudi, 1999

• Migliorini, B. Storia della lingua Italiana. Firenze, Sansoni, 1987