Rosa Rosà: The Forgotten Futurist Woman

Edith von Haynau, known as Rosa Rosà, was a Viennese-born Futurist writer and artist. Born in 1884 to an aristocratic family, she defied conventions by studying art at the Wiener Kunstschule für Frauen und Mädchen. In 1907 she met Italian writer Ugo Arnaldi, marrying him in 1908 and moving to Rome, where she had four children. During World War I, she joined the circle around L'Italia futurista, adopting the pseudonym Rosa Rosà. She wrote articles on women's issues, challenging Marinetti's views. Her 1918 novel 'Una donna con tre anime' is considered a key Futurist text. She also created paintings and drawings, exhibiting at the 1919 Grande Esposizione Futurista in Milan and the 1922 Esposizione Futurista Internazionale in Berlin. After a long hiatus, she published 'Eterno Mediterraneo' in 1964 and 'Il fenomeno Bisanzio' in 1970. She died in Rome in 1978.