User:Gabyrdgz/Piccarda Donati

Early Life
Piccarda was born into the Donati family, a noble family in medieval Florence. She is the sister of Corso Donati and Forese Donati. At a young age, she fled her home in order to become a nun. She joined the Order of Saint Clare (also known as the Poor Clares) located in Santa Maria di Monticelli. About a year later, she was forcibly removed from the monastery by Corso Donati. She was then forced to marry Rossellino della Tosa for political interests. She died soon after her wedding.

Character and Legacy
Piccarda's life and placement in Paradise plays an important role when discussing freedom, specifically in the context of civic versus spiritual responsibility. This is best displayed by Beatrice's explanation which essentially states that when force or forceful actions affects a person's physical body, it also affects their will by extension. This is best captured by what Beatrice calls "absolute will" versus "contaminated will". Piccarda is an example of absolute will. Her will to keep her vow to God was so intense that it can be described as an "innermost will". This means that, internally, she remained pure. Another way to look at this is that her vow was transferred from her head to her heart, thus actually preserving its purity. Piccarda serves as an example of the strength it takes to ensure that a person's will is not contaminated by outside interferences and the importance of choosing God above all.