60. The Preserved Girl-Corpse of Ancient Rome
Image of a Roman fresco illustrating a confarreatio or “sacred marriage ceremony“ (credit: Rome and Art)
In last week’s episode we noted that, while at Oxford in the 1920s, author Gertrude Trevelyan was the first woman to be awarded the Newdigate Prize. It was for her 250-line, blank verse poem about a perfectly-preserved young woman from ancient Rome who was discovered during the Italian Renaissance. In this week’s episode, join us as we “dig a little deeper” to find out more about the fascinating true story that inspired Trevelyan’s poem.
Discussed in this episode:
Lost Ladies of Lit episode on Gertrude Trevelyan with Brad Bigelow
Bartolomeo Fonzi’s sketch of the preserved corpse
The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir, Translated by Lauren Elkin (UK edition)