Editing Veronica Franco (section)

== Writings ==
In 1575, Franco's first volume of poetry was published, her ''Terze rime'', containing 18 ''capitoli'' (verse epistles) by her and 7 by men writing in her praise. That same year saw an outbreak of plague in Venice, one that lasted two years and caused Franco to leave the city and to lose many of her possessions. In 1577, she unsuccessfully proposed to the city council that it should establish a home for poor women, of which she would become the administrator.

In 1580, Franco published her ''Lettere familiari a diversi'' ("Familiar Letters to Various People") which included 50 letters, as well as two [[sonnet]]s addressed to King [[Henry III of France]].

Franco's success was not limited to being a coveted courtesan. It was her wittiness and often criticized voice that was immortalized by way of being published that brought forth much recognition. Records indicate that the number of actual publications was limited as they were thought to have been at her own expense or private publications. Her work is known to have been included in an anthology of women poets in the 18th century (1726) that was edited by [[Luisa Bergalli]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Poems and Selected Letters| last=Franco|first=Veronica|publisher=University of Chicago Press| year=1999| isbn=9780226259871|pages=22}}</ref> 
{{Quote|"When we too are armed and trained, we can convince men that we have hands, feet, and a heart like yours; and although we may be delicate and soft, some men who are delicate are also strong; and others, coarse and harsh, are cowards.  Women have not yet realized this, for if they should decide to do so, they would be able to fight you until death; and to prove that I speak the truth, amongst so many women, I will be the first to act, setting an example for them to follow."|Veronica Franco}}

The embodiment of her role in the public realm was made evermore tangible, amongst the literary circles and the Venetian public during her polemic literary battle with Maffio Venier. The poem referenced above, ''Capitolo XVI'', ''A Challenge to a Poet Who Has Defamed Her'', is believed to have been one of the many directed to Maffio Venier. These poems are ''Capitolo XIII'', ''Capitolo XVI'', and ''Capitolo XXIII'' of her literary publication ''Terze Rime''.