Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, also known as Elena Lucrezia Corner, or in English as Helen Cornaro, was a philosopher of noble descent in the Republic of Venice. She was born in the Palazzo Loredan, in Venice in 1646, the third child of Gianbattista Cornaro-Piscopia, a member of the Cornaro family, and his mistress Zanetta Boni, a commoner. Her father tried to arrange betrothals for her several times, but she rebuffed each man's advances. Early biographers' suggestion that she took a vow of chastity at age 11 is disputed. In 1665 she took the religious habit of an oblate of the Benedictines, but did not become a nun. As a young girl Elena was seen as a prodigy. She studied Latin and Greek under distinguished instructors, and by age 7 became proficient in those languages, as well as French and Spanish. Elena mastered the harpsichord, the clavichord, the harp, and the violin, and she composed music. In her late teens, she became interested in physics, astronomy, and linguistics. In 1669 she translated the Colloquy of Christ by Carthusian monk Lanspergius from Spanish into Italian. She was invited to be a part of many scholarly societies and in 1670 she became president of the Venetian society Accademia dei Pacifici. Her teachers petitioned the University of Padua to grant Cornaro the laurea in theology. The bishop of Padua refused on the grounds that she was a woman, but he did allow her to study for a degree in philosophy, and on this date in 1678, she received the laurea in Philosophy. At her conferral, Elena spoke for an hour in Classical Latin, explaining difficult passages selected at random from the works of Aristotle. When she had finished, she awarded the insignia of the laurea: a book of philosophy, a laurel wreath on her head, a ring on her finger, and an ermine mozzetta. She was proclaimed Magistra et Doctrix Philosophiae (teacher and doctor of philosophy), thus becoming one of the first women to receive an academic degree from a university. The last seven years of her life were devoted to study and charity. She died in Padua in 1684 of tuberculosis and was buried in the church of Santa Giustina. Credit: https://w.wiki/Rmcz Portrait: Unknown Author, 18th Century, Public Domain https://w.wiki/Rmd2 A quick spin in Santa Rosa, preparing for the Giro Bello in two days. Perfect weather. Moderate crosswind. I meant to spin earlier in the week, but a family member needed more care than expected. I was glad I was available to help. We've arranged more support, so I was able to ride today. I'll spin again tomorrow, then I'll just take the Giro Bello slow, knowing the family doesn't need me on hand. More family arriving Monday.