Life and career Leonora Baroni was the daughter of
Adriana Basile, a
virtuosa singer, and Mutio Baroni. She was born at the
Gonzaga court in
Mantua. From 1624 to 1633. Baroni sang alongside her mother and sister
Caterina at court and across Italy, including cities such as
Naples,
Genoa, and
Florence. She was admired not only for her skill as a musician, in which she almost overshadowed her mother, but also for her learning and refined manners. She was even known to speak many different languages. Baroni was a gifted singer as well as a gifted instrumentalist on both the
theorbo and
viol. Baroni's mother performed on the
lira, while her sister played the harp. Baroni was honored by poets such as
Fulvio Testi and
Francesco Bracciolini, who addressed poems to her, as did some nobles, such as
Annibale Bentivoglio and then-cardinal
Pope Clement IX. These poems were collected and published as
Applausi poetici alle glorie della Signora Leonora Baroni in 1639 and reprinted in 1641.
John Milton later wrote a series of
epigrams to her, entitled
Ad Leonoram Romae canentem (1639). Others praised Baroni for her challenging yet moving musical performances. ==Music==