A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Fantastici, Rosellina Massimima
FANTASTICI, ROSELLINA MASSIMIMA,
Is an Italian, born in the city of Pisa, near the close of the last century. The daughter of a very accomplished mother, Rosellina had, from maternal care, uncommon advantages of education. She appeared at an early age to have a remarkable talent for miniature painting, and attained great excellence in that art. Her marriage displayed her good qualities as a wife and mother, and also as the manager of household economy; but these occupations, though properly fulfilled, do not, or need not, suspend the intellectual improvement of women. Madame Fantastici found time to pursue her painting, until after the birth of her fifth child; when her eyes failing her, she was obliged to give up entirely the practice of this art. She then occupied her leisure hours "with literature, and obtained the silver medal from the Academy of Pistoia for one of her poems. When her children were old enough to require her constant attention, she devoted her time entirely to their education, and wrote nothing but little plays and stories, expressly for their improvement. She experiences the reward of these cares in the love and reverence with which her children regard her. She is now emancipated from her duties an teacher, and has returned with renewed ardour to her beloved studies, the fruits of which will no doubt in time enrich the literature of her country. Her published works are, "A Collection of Sonnets and Odes," "Cefale e Procri," a poem in octave-rhyme, and "Four little plays for children." She now resides at Pisa.