A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Morata, (Olympia Fulvia)
MORATA (OLYMPIA FULVIA) born at Ferrara, 1526.
Her father taught polite literature in several cities of Italy; and the report of his great merit advanced him to be preceptor to the young princes of Ferrara, sons of Alphonso I. Having discovered an uncommon capacity and inclination to learning in his daughter, he was induced to cultivate it; and she soon made such a progress, as astonished all about her. The princess of Ferrara being at that time studying polite literature, it was judged proper that she should have a companion in the same pursuit, in order to excite emulation. Morata being deemed properly qualified for the purpose, was sent for to court; where she was heard, to the amazement of her auditors, to declaim in Latin, speak Greek, explain the paradoxes of Cicero, and answer any questions that were put to her. Her father dying, and her mother being an invalid, she was obliged to return home, in order to take care of the family affairs, and the education of three sisters and a brother; both which she executed with great applause. Another cause of her removal from court, was said to be a disgust she had some how given the duchess of Ferrara, though on what account is not said. In the mean time, a young German, named Andreas Grunthler, who had studied physic, and taken his doctor's degree at Ferrara, fell in love with her, and married her. With him she went to Germany, and took her little brother with her, whom she carefully instructed in the Latin and Greek languages. They arrived at Augsburgh in 1548; and after a short stay there went to Schweinfurt in Franconia, which was the birth-place of Grunthler. They had not been there long before Schweinfurt was besieged and burnt; but they escaped with their lives, and fled in the utmost distress to Hammelburgh. But even here they were not suffered to make any long stay, and were driven to extremity, when the elector palatine invited Grunthler to be professor of physic at Heidelberg, He entered upon this employment in 1554, thought himself well settled, and began to enjoy life; when Morata was seized with an illness occasioned by the distresses and hardships they had undergone, of which after a lingering illness for some months, she died 1555, in the 29th year of her age. She died in the protestant religion, which she embraced on her coming into Germany. She taught French and Latin publickly, and wrote several books, a great part of which were burnt with the town of Schweinfurt. The remainder were collected by Cælius Secundus Curio, and published at Basil, 1558. Her works consist of orations, dialogues, letters, and translations.