On this day, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the illegitimate daughter of the Venetian nobleman Gianbattista Cornaro Piscopia and his mistress Zanetta Boni, became the first woman ever to receive an academic degree from a university. Seen as a prodigy from an early age, Elena was proficient in Latin, Greek, French and Spanish by the age of seven and also became an expert musician, mastering the harpsichord, the clavichord, the harp and the violin. Forbidden from pursuing a degree in theology, she was given permission to study for a degree in philosophy. Her degree was conferred in Padova cathedral by Professor Rinaldini who awarded her the insignia of the laurea: a book of philosophy, a laurel wreath on her head, a ring on her finger and over her shoulder an ermine cape. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 38 and was buried in the church of Santa Giustina in Padova.
