„Guarda femina temeraria“

Abstract This article examines the literary self-portrayals of Arcangela Tarabotti, who became known for her denunciations of forced monacazation in 17th-century Venice. The focus is on the self-representation as a bold, transgressive woman („femina temeraria“) who was not afraid to go into battle against men, which the author skillfully combines with her portrayal as an innocent virgin. Against the background of Tarabotti’s transgressions of contemporary norms and her special relationship to the Accademia degli Incogniti, the article discusses in which way this image may have promoted the publication of her writings on the Venetian book market. In a second step, I examine how the author uses various figures of the ‚avenging innocence‘ (avenging angel, virgo virago, etc.) in the Lettere and especially in La semplicità ingannata to enter both the literary and the political debate.