The Maiden of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa ( review + #giveaway )

 

"It is unwise to write all this, for I am not so artless that I don't know that it amounts to a confession... Perhaps I should burn these pages".

The Maiden of Florence is a historical novel, set in 16C Florence and Venice. This is a gripping, heart-rending story of a remarkable woman.

Blurb:

"My defloration was talked about in all the courts of Europe. The Prince boasted of his prowess, even as preparations were being made for his wedding, as boldly as if he had ridden across that causeway with bloodstained sheet tied to his lance".

1584, Italy: Twenty-year-old Giulia expects she will live and die incarcerated as a silk weaver within the walls of her Florentine orphanage, where she has never so much as glimpsed her own face. This all changes with the visit of the Medici family's most trusted advisor, promising her a generous dowry and a husband if she agrees to a small sacrifice that will bring honour and glory to her native city.

Vincenzo Gonzaga, libertine heir to the dukedom of Mantua, wants to marry the Grand-Duke of Tuscany's eldest daughter, but the rumours around his unconsummated first marriage must be silenced first. Eager for a dynastic alliance that will be a bulwark against the threat of Protestant heresy beyond the Alps, the Pope and his cardinals turn a blind eye to a mortal sin.

A powerful #MeToo story of the Renaissance, based on true events.

We meet Giulia as she looks back at her life and writes her story. The memoirs are Giulia's way of communicating to her late mother, who she never knew as a child. 

"Those events are almost thirty years old, but I remember them as though they happened thirty days ago, though I have tried to bury the memories. Nearly every player in this story is dead. It is only now that what happened can be told by me, not by the men - and woman - who decided my fate".

Growing up in an orphanage in Florence, Giulia learnt the art of silk weaving. Abandoned as a newborn at the portico of the Innocenti orphanage, she knows nothing of her origins and dreams of being taken away one day by her father. But nobody claims her as their own, and her life is sad and cold. Children are brought up without love or compassion, and are reminded daily they are the fruit of sin.

One day Giulia is brought into the Lady Prioress's parlour to be displayed in front of the important visitors. Giulia is chosen to represent her city and carry out a sordid task "with grace and diligence, in gratitude for the care that has been taken of her".

Defenceless and vulnerable, Giulia cannot refuse her superiors. She is also promised money and a husband by the end of her ordeal.

The young prince of Mantua, Vincenzo Gonzaga, has failed to consummate his first marriage. His family is eager for him to get married again and be allied with the Dukedom of Tuscany. To squash the rumours that he is incapable of consummating the marriage, the Prince has to prove his virility, and the witnesses will have to ascertain the proof. If he succeeds the test, he will marry Lady Leonora. And Giulia is chosen for her beauty, purity and lack of family who would protect her honour.

And thus Giulia's story unfolds, as written by her thirty years later. 

Will she be able to find happiness after the fateful events? Is there ever an escape from the past?

The novel is based on true events. The author mentions the correspondence in the Medici archives, with the explicit details, which has been used as a source of inspiration. There is not much known about Giulia herself. Mezzacappa gives voice to a woman who has become a footnote in history books.

I found it hard to read the first part of the book, where there is too much emphasis on the physical side of Giulia's plight. While I understand the significance of the detailed description of her torment, it felt unnecessarily prolonged and graphic, and uncomfortably voyeuristic.

Deprived of human touch and love in the orphanage, Giulia is looking for any crumbs of affectiom where there are none. Her story is harrowing, yet also redemptive. 

The Maiden of Florence is a poignant evocation of the aspirations, hopes and healing, human suffering and spiritual integrity. Masterfully researched and elegantly written, the book shines a light on the struggles of the Renaissance women.

Potential triggers: rape/sexual abuse, murder.

Many thanks to Katherine Mezzacappa, Fairlight Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509/

https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509/

Author Bio –

Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish writer of mainly historical fiction, currently living in Italy. She has published several novels under pen names with publishers Bonnier Zaffre and eXtasy. She works as a manuscript assessor for The Literary Consultancy. Katherine reviews for Historical Novel Society’s quarterly journal and is one of the organisers of the Society’s 2022 UK conference. In her spare time she volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.

Social Media Links – Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmezzacappa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherinemezzacappafiction/

https://katherinemezzacappa.ie/

 

Giveaway to Win a vintage postcard, early 1900s, of the babies from the façade of the Innocenti orphanage. (Open INT)

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