Sofonisba Anguissola akaberekerwa muCremona, Lombardy muna 1532, ari dangwe pavana vanomwe, vatanhatu vavo vaiva vasikana. Baba vake, Amilcare Anguissola, aiva nhengo yevakuru veCremonese, uye amai vake, Bianca Ponzone, vaivawo vemhuri dzakanaka. Mhuri yacho yaigara pedyo nenzvimbo yehondo yakakurumbira yomuzana remakore rechipiri B.C., hondo yeTrebbia
, pakati pevaRoma nevaCarthage, uye nhengo dzinoverengeka dzemhuri yeAnguissola dzakatumidzwa mazita evanhu vekare vezvakaitika kare veCarthage: Amilcare akatumidza mwanasikana wake wekutanga zita remunhu anosiririsa weCarthage Sophonisba, uye mwanakomana wake mumwe chete Asdrubale mushure memukuru wehondo Hasdrubal Barca. Amilcare Anguissola, akafuridzirwa nebhuku raBaldassare Castiglione raIl Cortigiano, akakurudzira vanasikana vake vose (Sofonisba, Elena, Lucia, Europa, Minerva naAnna Maria) kuti varambe vachikudziridza unyanzvi hwavo. Vanun'una vana (Elena, Lucia, Europa naAnna Maria) vakava vapendi, asi Sofonisba ndiye akanga ane unyanzvi zvikuru uye akakurumbira uye akadzidzisa vanun'una vake vaduku. Elena Anguissola (c. 1532 <unk> 1584) akasiya kupenda kuti ave sisita. Vose Anna Maria naEuropa vakasiya unyanzvi pavakaroora, nepo Lucia Anguissola (1536 kana 1538 <unk> 1565<unk>1568), muvezi akanakisisa wehanzvadzi dzaSophonisba, akafa achiri muduku. Hanzvadzi yakasara, Minerva, yakava munyori uye nyanzvi yechiLatin. Asdrubale, mukoma waSophonisba, akadzidza nziyo nechiLatin, asi kwete kupenda.