Claudia Cattaneo Monteverdi was the daughter of Giacomo Cattaneo, a musician at the court of Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga and his duchess Eleonora de'Medici at Mantua. In 1590 a young Claudio Monteverdi found employment at court under the supervision of Cattaneo, and took lodgings at his home, living in the same household as his future wife. Claudia was trained as a singer, and married Monteverdi in the spring of 1599 (May 20th).
The couple had three children: Francesco Baldassare (1601-circa 1677), a singer at Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice; a daughter Leonora Caiulla (or Camilla) in 1603, who died in infancy; and a second son Massimiliano Giacomo (1604-1661). Massimiliano became a physician, practiced in Mantua, and was imprisoned by the Inquisition for a short period after being found to have read a "prohibited book".
As a court singer, Claudia Monteverdi is certain to have performed her husband's vocal music, and she likely took part in the original performance of "Orfeo" in February of 1607. She may have given instruction to other court singers such as Caterina Martinelli, who lived for several years at the Monteverdi home. But by the summer of 1607 she had fallen gravely ill, and was taken to her father-in-law the physician Baldassare Monteverdi's home at Cremona for convalescence. She passed away there in September, and was buried at the Church of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, where her husband had been baptized. The location of her grave there is no longer known.
After Claudia's death her famous husband remained single, and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1632 or 1633.
The couple had three children: Francesco Baldassare (1601-circa 1677), a singer at Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice; a daughter Leonora Caiulla (or Camilla) in 1603, who died in infancy; and a second son Massimiliano Giacomo (1604-1661). Massimiliano became a physician, practiced in Mantua, and was imprisoned by the Inquisition for a short period after being found to have read a "prohibited book".
As a court singer, Claudia Monteverdi is certain to have performed her husband's vocal music, and she likely took part in the original performance of "Orfeo" in February of 1607. She may have given instruction to other court singers such as Caterina Martinelli, who lived for several years at the Monteverdi home. But by the summer of 1607 she had fallen gravely ill, and was taken to her father-in-law the physician Baldassare Monteverdi's home at Cremona for convalescence. She passed away there in September, and was buried at the Church of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, where her husband had been baptized. The location of her grave there is no longer known.
After Claudia's death her famous husband remained single, and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1632 or 1633.
Claudia Cattaneo Monteverdi was the daughter of Giacomo Cattaneo, a musician at the court of Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga and his duchess Eleonora de'Medici at Mantua. In 1590 a young Claudio Monteverdi found employment at court under the supervision of Cattaneo, and took lodgings at his home, living in the same household as his future wife. Claudia was trained as a singer, and married Monteverdi in the spring of 1599 (May 20th).
The couple had three children: Francesco Baldassare (1601-circa 1677), a singer at Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice; a daughter Leonora Caiulla (or Camilla) in 1603, who died in infancy; and a second son Massimiliano Giacomo (1604-1661). Massimiliano became a physician, practiced in Mantua, and was imprisoned by the Inquisition for a short period after being found to have read a "prohibited book".
As a court singer, Claudia Monteverdi is certain to have performed her husband's vocal music, and she likely took part in the original performance of "Orfeo" in February of 1607. She may have given instruction to other court singers such as Caterina Martinelli, who lived for several years at the Monteverdi home. But by the summer of 1607 she had fallen gravely ill, and was taken to her father-in-law the physician Baldassare Monteverdi's home at Cremona for convalescence. She passed away there in September, and was buried at the Church of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, where her husband had been baptized. The location of her grave there is no longer known.
After Claudia's death her famous husband remained single, and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1632 or 1633.
The couple had three children: Francesco Baldassare (1601-circa 1677), a singer at Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice; a daughter Leonora Caiulla (or Camilla) in 1603, who died in infancy; and a second son Massimiliano Giacomo (1604-1661). Massimiliano became a physician, practiced in Mantua, and was imprisoned by the Inquisition for a short period after being found to have read a "prohibited book".
As a court singer, Claudia Monteverdi is certain to have performed her husband's vocal music, and she likely took part in the original performance of "Orfeo" in February of 1607. She may have given instruction to other court singers such as Caterina Martinelli, who lived for several years at the Monteverdi home. But by the summer of 1607 she had fallen gravely ill, and was taken to her father-in-law the physician Baldassare Monteverdi's home at Cremona for convalescence. She passed away there in September, and was buried at the Church of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, where her husband had been baptized. The location of her grave there is no longer known.
After Claudia's death her famous husband remained single, and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1632 or 1633.
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See more Monteverdi or Cattaneo memorials in:
- Church of Saints Nazario e Celso in S. Ab Monteverdi or Cattaneo
- Cremona Monteverdi or Cattaneo
- Provincia di Cremona Monteverdi or Cattaneo
- Lombardia Monteverdi or Cattaneo
- Italy Monteverdi or Cattaneo
- Find a Grave Monteverdi or Cattaneo
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