Joana Vaz

Joana Vaz (c. 1500–after 1570) was a Renaissance humanist and poet in the court of Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal.^[1][2]

Catherine's court included a number of scholarly women, including Vaz, Catherine's cousin Maria, and the sisters Angela and Luisa Sigea de Velasco.^[1] Vaz served as a maid of honour to Catherine and was reportedly director of the aula regia.^[2] Vaz was fluent in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and is reported to have written extensively in the first.^[1] She served as a tutor to Catherine's cousin and to the princess, also called Maria.^[3]

Vaz was clearly considered to be an authority by her contemporary scholars: the poet Francisco de Sá de Meneses referred to her as such in a letter,^[4] and Pope Paul III was reported to have admired her writing.^[1] The poet Clenardus described her as "elegantly trained in literature" and asked her to contribute a poem for the funeral of Erasmus.^[5]