According to Castriota Vittoria wrote a sonnet which began with this line and sent it to Alfonso d'Avalos, Marchese of Vasto when after the battle of Capo d'Orsa he was a prisoner of the French. Visconti quotes the line on, "Discorso Preliminare", p. XXXV, places it at the same time and in the same context, but alters the opening verb (Following Visconti, MRoscoe reprints Visconti's comment and text, p. 337). Castriota says the purpose of the sonnet was to inspirit him to resist and remain strong ("saldo:" solid, stable). If this was to Del Vasto, the date could also be anytime in 1528 in southern Italian campaign when Del Vasto had much military trouble. I include it among the marriage poems because to her Del Vasto was her son, and she evidences the same attitude towards military life that she did towards her husband's and father's.
Sources:
Eighth fragment of poetry cited by Castriota, FMTordi, p. 510; and Visconti, "Discorso Preliminare", p. XXXV:
Notes:
Castriota's line differs from Visconti's: Contra i piu erti e piu superbi colli... This would
translate: Against the highest and proudest hills . . .