Tullia d'Aragona (1501/1505 – March or April 1556) was an Italian poet, author and philosopher. Born in Rome sometime between 1501 and 1505, Tullia traveled throughout Venice, Ferrara, Siena, and Florence before returning to Rome. Throughout her life Tullia was esteemed one of the best female writers, poets, philosophers, and charmers of her time. Influencing many of the most famous male philosophers, Tullia's work raised the status (in literature) of women to be on an equal footing as men. Her fame and success made her into the most celebrated of Renaissance poet-courtesans. With her intellect, literary abilities and social graces, she entertained powerful men and famous poets. Early years Tullia was born in Rome sometime between 1501 and 1505, to Giulia Campana (formerly Giulia Pendaglia), who was the daughter of an otherwise unknown father Orsino Pendaglia from Ferrara. It is unknown if her maternal grandfather was a member natural or legitimate of a noble Ferrarese family with the same name. Also known as Giulia Ferrarese, her mother was lauded as "the most famous beauty of her day". A floor tomb in the Church of S. Agostino in Rome confirms her mothers last name as Campana. There is some controversy surrounding to whom fathered Tullia. A document in Siena Identifies her father as Costanzo Palmieri d'Aragona from Naples, Tullia and her admirers claim her father is in fact Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona, illegitimate grandson of Ferdinando d'Aragona, King of Naples. While it is not confirmed. Some speculation into who her father actually was has concluded two theories, one That Gulia's marriage to Costanzo Palmieri d'Aragona was a cover up performed by Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona's family, to hide his liaison which allowed him to continue to frequent her without interference. Second, many researches predict that this was a way for the family to save face. The Cardinal provided for Tullia her classical education in the humanities; young Tullia proved to be a child prodigy who amazed even her mother's 'guests.' Because Tullia's mother was not married to her father, Tullia's life was marked by the stigma of her illegitimate birth to a courtesan mother. Furthering the theory of her true father being Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona, Tullia spent the first part of her childhood in Rome, but around the time of the Cardinal's departure for his well-known journey through northern Europe she and her mother moved to Siena. While in Siena her mother married