Of uncommon intellect, by the age of 11 Maria Gaetana could perfectly speak

Italian, German, Spanish, French, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Following her
fathers will, she started to study Philosophy and Maths . By the time she was
15 her father started to gather regularly into his house the most learned men
of Italy and Europe. They introduced Maria Gaetana to the study of Euclids
fundamentals, Logic and Physics.
She was the second woman ever to be granted pro fessorship at a university,
and was firmly convinced that women had the right to be educated as well as
men.
In 1748 she published the Instituzioni analitiche ad uso della giovent
italiana, (Analytical Institutions for the Use of Italian Youth) in which she
integrated Mathematics Analysis with Algebra, and discussed the curve
called Verziera, that will lately be renamed Verziera di Agnesi ( Witch of
Agnesi" in English) in her honor.

"The word versiera is derived from Latin vertere, to turn, but is also an
abbreviation of Italian avversiera, female devil. Some wit in England once
translated it witch, and the silly pun is still lovingly preserved in most of our
textbooks in English language.
Wanting to live a simple life, after her fathers death she started to study
Theology and devoted herself to the poor, homeless and sick.