num_pages: 320
description: Venice in the late Renaissance was a city of fabulous wealth, reckless creativity, and growing social unrest. It was also a city of walls and secrets, ghettos and cloisters. In this captivating book, Cambridge historian Mary Laven uncovers the long-hidden stories of the “Virgins of Venice” and the surprising lives they led. Laven has created a detailed and dramatic tapestry of resourceful, determined, often passionate women who managed to lead fulfilling lives despite their virtual imprisonment. Far from being precincts of piety and silence, the convents were hotbeds of political scheming, colorful pageantry, and illicit love. Rich in intrigue and gossip, eye-opening in its revelations, Virgins of Venice brings to life a culturally vibrant period in Venice and the hidden residents who dwelled behind its walls.
language: English
title: Virgins of Venice: Broken Vows and Cloistered Lives in the Renaissance Convent
titlecomplete: Virgins of Venice: Broken Vows and Cloistered Lives in the Renaissance Convent
genres: Historical, History, Womens, Italy, Religion, Christianity, Gender, Womens Studies, Nonfiction, Art
ratings_count: 254
places: Venice
awards: awardedAt: 1009872000000
name: Guardian First Book Award
category: Longlist, awardedAt: 1009872000000
name: John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
publisher: Penguin Books