The first woman editor in Italy was… Venetian!
Elisabetta Caminer was the first woman in Italy to found and direct a magazine that was soon distributed throughout Europe: we are talking about the Giornale Enciclopedico which used to bring together historical, literary and scientific news ... all selected and translated by this amazing and tireless woman!! Read more to know her better ...!
Elisabetta Caminer was born in Venice in 1751. Her father, Domenico Caminer, was an extremely well-educated man who, among the many activities, held the editorial office of very successful journals such as L'Europa Letteraria and the Nuova Gazzetta Veneta.
Among books, intellectuals, newspaper articles and news, the beautiful Elisabetta began very soon to help his father, dedicating both to find the most interesting news and to translate them. However, she was just over twenty years old that she began to work on the Giornale Enciclopedico, a true summary of all the knowledge and the most important news of the time.
Elisabetta was a figure of very high intelligence and she was soon noticed among the great intellectuals. She also received the attention of one of the most acclaimed naturalists of the period, Antonio Turra (the first to write a treatise on the Italian flora!), with whom Elisabetta got married in 1772 (to experience the magic of Venice, look at OUR PROPOSAL).
With the formation of the new family, Elisabetta had to move to Vicenza where she brought the editorial staff of the Giornale Enciclopedico. She also became the director, working in collaboration with the typography of Francesco Modena (for a special accommodation, look at OUR PROPOSAL).
However, life in Vicenza proved to be much quieter than in Venice, and so the Caminer Turra family opened its place to many intellectuals and scholars among whom we must mention Marco Antonio Trissino and Lorenzo Tornieri. In addition, many famous personalities became part of the editorial board like prof. Toaldo and prof. Lorgna for the mathematical sciences, Giovanni Scola for the philosophical sciences and the abbot Fortis for the natural sciences.
After having opened a private printing press in 1779 in order to be able to resist against the strong censorship that was pressing on the publications of the time, Elisabetta's activity continued by opening up to pedagogy and theatre: she owned, for example, the acting school in Contrà Riale where some new promises of the stage managed to begin their careers.
The life and the volcanic activity of Elisabetta Caminer ended on June 7th 1796, due to a breast cancer: however, she will always remain a great example of creativity, intelligence and determination.
