Tullia d’Aragona was a trailblazing thinker of the Italian Renaissance, whose Dialogue on the Infinity of Love boldly asserted that love encompasses both physical and spiritual dimensions, that sexual desire is natural, and that women are equal to men in intellect and sexuality.
Written in 1547, when Tullia was likely in her late 30s and just a few years before her death, Dialogue on the Infinity of Love stands out for its audacious message and for the authentic courage it must have taken to publish such a work in a time when women’s voices were rarely heard in public discourse. Remarkably, the ideas in this slim volume—less than 120 pages—still provoke debate around the world today.
Rejecting the Platonic and religious disdain for sensuality, Aragona argued that “true love must involve both the body and the soul, for to separate them is to misunderstand the nature of humanity.” This holistic perspective on love bridged the physical and spiritual, challenging prevailing attitudes that relegated sensuality to the realm of sin.
In a striking passage, Aragona calls out misogyny in theories of love, writing, “It is not holiness, but arrogance displayed to take away the greatest gift—free will—bestowed by God from the beginning of time.” Such sharp critiques, paired with her rhetorical elegance, made her arguments revolutionary yet palatable.
Tullia’s story is as compelling as her work. The daughter of a courtesan, she was celebrated as a child prodigy and received an elevated education, reportedly provided by the Cardinal d'Aragon, who may or may not have been her father. At the age of 18, she entered the "honest courtesan" class, after which her life blossomed with intrigue and influence. A madrigal was written about her by a French composer, she was romantically linked with a banking magnate who was recalled to Florence after sharing too many state secrets with her. One lover founded a society of six cavaliers sworn to protect her honor, and Tullia's sister may have actually been her daughter.
Her connections to powerful patrons provided both opportunity and protection, enabling her to engage with prominent thinkers and publish her groundbreaking work. Yet, this position of paradox—emboldened by education and access to elite circles while constrained by the stigma of her profession—left her both empowered and vulnerable.
The intellectual legacy of Dialogue on the Infinity of Love aligns with the works of other women who defied the norms of their time. Christine de Pizan, a late medieval writer, championed women’s intellectual and moral capabilities in The Book of the City of Ladies/book/9780892553730. Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, published four centuries later, echoed Aragona’s rejection of gendered hierarchies. Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider celebrated the integration of physicality and intellect, a theme central to Aragona’s vision. These connections underline Aragona’s enduring relevance.
Aragona’s brilliance lay in her ability to frame radical ideas within the intellectual traditions of her time, respecting the norms of her audience while subtly undermining them. “Love is a desire for beauty, born from the sight of beauty,” she wrote, affirming the integral role of physical attraction in human experience. Her measured tone and respect for opposing views made her critiques impossible to dismiss outright.
Her work is more than a philosophical treatise; it’s a masterclass in the art of persuasion. Aragona showed that it’s possible to challenge deeply entrenched norms without alienating those invested in them—a lesson that feels as urgent today as it did nearly five centuries ago.
