Emilia Goggi Marcovaldi was born in Prato on the 10th of October 1817. She was a descendant of an ancient family who used to live in the area of Prato called Santa Lucia. There is evidence of that family which dates back to the 13th century. The Marcovaldi family had the title of the noble family of Prato in 1750 and at the end of the century merged with another family, the Goggi; which is the reason of the double surname. When Emilia was six she went to the "Conservatorio di Santa Caterina". She studied music and song with Giuseppe Orlandi, because of his innate musical instinct, and for the quantity and the beauty of his voice, together with his disciplined approach. She made her debut in public at the age of eighteen, in a concert of the "Conservatorio", singing the famous "Casta diva", from the "Norma" by Vincenzo Bellini. To cultivate her wonderful voice she studied in Florence with Antonio Giuliani. She started out stage acting in second rate roles, and in 1841 she made her debut in Venice singing the part of Adalgisa (mezzo-soprano), in the "Norma. From here Emilia began her artistic career: in Venice, Verona, Padova, Rome, Florence, Livorno, Torino, Pisa and Milan. Her repertoire included twenty-four operas, amongst them: "Barbiere di Siviglia", "L'assedio di Corinto", "Mosè", "Guglielmo Tell", "Lucrezia Borgia", "La favorita", "Nabucco", "Medea", "Saffo", "Gemma di Vergy", "Linda di Chamonix", "Trovatore". She was a very beautiful woman, loyal, honest and faithful. Whenever she visited Prato, she was welcomed with manifestations of love and admiration (as both an artist and a woman) by men of all social standings. However she put art and her career before the love and happiness of marriage. There were numerous times when she showed her charitable nature by helping poor people, subsidising young artists for their studies and funding charitable organisations. Whilst practising for a tour in London, she was suddenly taken ill. She died in Florence on the 29th of August 1857, and was buried in Prato two days later, in the tomb of her family (in Saint Agostino's Cloister). The funeral was very impressive. The Pratese people all wanted to give their farewells to their beloved singer, and many artists (the tenor Baucardè and his wife and the sopran Augusta Albertini) were there. During the Mass, there was a performance of the "Requiem" by Giuseppe Becherini.