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311:, who had previously been accused of murder. In 1597 Marianna was a teacher at the convent's school for girls. During this period she met Osio, who lived in a house next to the monastery. Though a nun, Marianna was both rich and powerful: from a wealthy family, she also administered property revenues in Monza and was involved in administering justice. She started to exchange letters with Osio, delivered to his garden through a rope lowered from a window. The liaison was facilitated by the use of duplicated keys provided by a blacksmith. The meetings between them were frequent and were organized with the complicity of other nuns and a priest named Paolo Arrigone, a close friend of Osio.
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407:, who is working for Rodrigo. She at first refuses, then gives in, and later confesses her crimes. Her decision is difficult for her, emphasizing Manzoni's view of her as a weak tool of evil, unable to resist threats and temptations, but basically not cruel. Later in the novel, at the end of Chapter 37, Lucia learns of Gertrude's repentance, confession of guilt, and consequent sentence.
399:
cruelty of her father which finally forced her to live as a nun. It is a romanticized account, but based on
Virginia de Leyva's character. It is described through a "flashbacks" technique, along with particular combinations of nouns and adjectives which suggest a hidden anguished secret in the nun's previous life.
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threatened all the nuns complicit in the murder that they would suffer the same fate if they revealed the crime. The murder remained secret because outsiders were told that the murdered lay sister had run off. In the autumn of 1606, however, rumors about the activities at the convent became more frequent. The
314:
In 1602 Marianna gave birth to an illegitimate stillborn baby. After this, the relationship with Osio temporarily ended. Despite this, after a while the affair restarted, although the lovers' meetings were less frequent. In autumn 1603 Sister
Virginia got pregnant for the second time, and gave birth
238:
After the death of her mother
Virginia in 1576, the infant Marianna was entered into a long trial for her inheritance, which was eventually not resolved in her favor. Her mother wanted to give half of her possessions to Marianna and the other half to her first son, Marco Pio, who was her child from
402:
Through her back-story we learn that her religious vows didn't stop her physical urges, and she had a relationship with an evil aristocrat, Egidio, who pushed her to become his accomplice in the murder of a nun: this is her tormenting secret. The principal female characters, Agnese and Lucia, meet
357:
From
November 19 until March 27, 1608, the interrogation of the priest Paolo Arrigone took place. On May 22, 1608, the interrogation restarted again and this time torture was used. On June 14 Sister Virginia was interrogated. She confirmed, under physical torment, the accusations against Arrigone.
276:
On August 26, 1591, the archbishop witnessed four newly arrived sisters consecrate themselves: Sister
Virginia Maria, Sister Benedetta Felice, Sister Teodora da Seveso and Sister Ottavia Caterina Ricci. On September 26, 1591, Marianna became Sister Virginia Maria. Before the scandal which made her
318:
In the summer of 1606, one of the nuns at the convent threatened to expose the relationship. As a consequence of this threat, Osio killed her in order to avoid the spreading of the story. This murder apparently took place with the complicity of both Sister
Virginia and other nuns. Sister Virginia
184:
The family name of De Leyva is allegedly of
Sephardic origin, and of the Sephardic people who were descendants of Jewish settlers, originally part of the Tribe of Levi and were from Israel. But the Tribe of Levi had been scattered following the history of what happened in Spain with the Catholic
353:
came to know about the scandal, he ordered a canonical trial of the nun. The trial of Sister
Virginia started on November 27, 1607, and she was interrogated by Vicar Gerolamo Saracino. Marianna defended herself by claiming loss of free-will, asserting that diabolic forces had exercised on her an
398:
She appears in
Chapters IX, X, XVIII, XX and XXVII under the name "Gertrude". Her portrait is one of the longest and most detailed of the whole novel; it deals with her previous life, her difficult relationship with her family, her initial rejection for religious life, and the strength and the
403:
Gertrude (The Nun of Monza) while escaping from the villain Don
Rodrigo. They shelter in her convent, looking for hospitality. Gertrude becomes close to Lucia. Egidio asks her to help him to kidnap Lucia on behalf of the bandit
181:(1963) presents a nonfictional account of Sister Viriginia's life, drawing upon historical records (including testimonies exacted by the Catholic Church during the investigation into Sister Viriginia's crimes).
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Even his doorman and his wife were exposed to torture to confirm the accusations against him, although "exposed" means being shown the instruments of torture so it does not necessarily mean being tortured.
414:, entitled "Fermo and Lucia", dedicated six chapters to the story of the nun from Monza, which Manzoni then reduced to only two. the text described the passion for Egidio and the murder of his sister.
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to a girl. The child was named Alma Francesca Margherita. Alma subsequently lived with her father, Count Osio, who legally acknowledged her as his illegitimate daughter two years later in 1605.
273:, to be given to her by Giuseppe Limiato. The truth was that Limiato never received the money. Historical witnesses have confirmed she did receive income from the yearly revenues for being a nun.
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877:
435:. Like the nun of Monza, Gertrude is an abbess, had a saint life, and in the 16th century she is depicted in a painting chasing away the rats that are the main vehicles carrying the
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described her as "modest", "respectful", and "obedient". He also records that she befriended everyone easily, and enjoyed reading as much as possible. She gained popularity in
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Marianna de Leyva y Marino was born in Milan, Italy, on December 4, 1575. She was the daughter of Martìno de Leyva and Virginia Maria Marino, widow of Ercole
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Martìno had inherited the county of Monza as the great nephew of Antonio de Leyva, a Spaniard who became a notorious commander in Italy at the service of
155:. She gave birth to two children fathered by a local aristocrat, and had connived in the murder of another nun to cover up the affair. This took place in
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in this period. For example, on May 20, 1594, the writer Bartolomeo Zucchi sent her a letter in which he praised her for her choice of becoming a nun.
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March 15, 1589, was the last time that don Martino de Leyva saw his daughter. Her father said he would leave her an inheritance of 6,000
887:
823:
Leyva, Virginia Maria de, item of the Italian Biographical Dictionary "Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani", Treccani, M.C. Giannini
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737:
721:
678:
U. Colombo, "Life and Trial of Sister Virginia Maria" (italian "Vita e processo di suor V.M. de L. monaca di Monza"), Milan 1985
365:. After surviving this period of incarceration, she was released in 1622, she lived at the monastery until her death in 1650.
421:, Manzoni states that he is unable to identify the nun of Monza because he is not in possession of documentation from the
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Church and the Jews. During this time the Jews had mixed with the Spanish as well as the Portuguese and Italians too.
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of Monza, with its related and substantial incomes. Martino was the second son of Luis de Leyva, Prince of
212:. Virginia was the daughter and direct heir of one of the richest man in Milan, the banker Tommaso Marino.
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The life of Sister Virginia Maria has been popularized in many films, most of which are examples of the
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In the verdict, on October 18, 1608, Sister Virginia was sentenced to be walled-in for 13 years in the
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an earlier marriage. Her will was contested by Marco Pio's sisters, who had been left nothing.
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Giuseppe Ripamonti,"Historiae Patriae" (Homeland History), chapter III, 1641–1643, pp. 358–377
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163:, at the beginning of the 17th century. Following this scandal she became widely known as
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262:. This monastery could only be accessed through a small street, which today is called
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She was 13 years and 3 months old when her father forced her to become a nun in the
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Locatelli-Milesi, Achille, La Signora di Monza nella realtĂ , Milano, Treves 1924
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Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. October 27, 2010
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Gervaso, Roberto, La monaca di Monza. Venere in convento, Milano, Bompiani 1988
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E. Paccagnini, "La vita di suor V.M. de L." (Life of V.M. de L.), pp. 3–93
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household. He therefore chooses as her name that of Gertrude referring to
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17th-century Italian Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns
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16th-century Italian Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns
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about whom he had inquired for the writing of the tragedy of
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476:(The Monk of Monza), a 1962 Italian comedy film directed by
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These facts came to the ears of the governor of Milan. On
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The scandal was caused by her love affair with the count
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who had counterfeited the keys was also killed by Osio.
851:[The Nun of Monza in History and Literature].
151:; December 4, 1575 – January 17, 1650) was an Italian
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Her continued renown is mostly credited to the novel
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391:, 1827), generally ranked among the masterpieces of
849:"La Monaca di Monza, immagini tra storia e romanzo"
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338:. He was eventually murdered by an alleged friend.
576:a 2017 film about murders at an abbey directed by
785:"La Monaca di Monza, il perché del nome Gertrude"
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764:
330:day of 1607 Osio was arrested and imprisoned in
254:of Saint Margaret. The monastery was located in
500:), a 1969 Italian historical drama directed by
562:, a 2004 Italian television movie directed by
460:, a 1962 Italian historical drama directed by
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167:. Her life inspired one of the characters in
546:), a 1987 Italian erotic drama directed by
377:The Nun of Monza, illustration to the novel
208:, who inherited the title to a County from
810:, The True Story of The Nun of Monza, 1980
242:Marianna lived with her aunts until 1588.
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417:In a 1732 letter addressed to his friend
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807:La vera storia della monaca di Monza
630:La vera storia della Monaca di Monza
516:La vera storia della monaca di Monza
765:Giovanni Fighera (March 28, 2024).
498:The Awful Story of the Nun of Monza
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512:The True Story of the Nun of Monza
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888:Italian people of Spanish descent
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767:"Quei tagli prudenti del Manzoni"
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369:'The Nun of Monza' in literature
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771:La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana
602:LEYVA (September 8, 2013).
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787:(in Italian). lanuovabq.it
578:Philippe Gagnon (director)
443:'The Nun of Monza' in film
427:Saint Gertrude of Nivelles
256:Spalto di Porta de’ Grandi
149:Marianna de Leyva y Marino
53:Marianna de Leyva y Marino
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234:De Leyva family crest
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363:Home of Santa Valeria
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145:Sister Virginia Maria
88:Milan, Duchy of Milan
826:Mario Mazzucchelli,
748:Alessandro Manzoni,
732:Alessandro Manzoni,
716:Alessandro Manzoni,
568:Giovanna Mezzogiorno
903:Nobility from Milan
488:as Sister Virginia.
309:Giovanni Paolo Osio
260:Via Azzone Visconti
219:, who gave him the
908:Alessandro Manzoni
835:La Monaca di Monza
704:Alessandro Manzoni
540:La Monaca di Monza
502:Eriprando Visconti
473:Il monaco di Monza
457:La monaca di Monza
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169:Alessandro Manzoni
129:Alessandro Manzoni
38:La monaca di Monza
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493:The Lady of Monza
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298:The Nun of Monza
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179:The Nun of Monza
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550:, starring
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504:, starring
486:Moira Orfei
480:, starring
464:, starring
336:in absentia
289:The scandal
94:Nationality
16:Italian nun
872:Categories
754:Chapter XX
722:Chapter IX
589:References
451:subgenre.
405:Innominato
348:Archbishop
321:blacksmith
189:Early life
110:Occupation
59:1575-12-04
859:March 17,
738:Chapter X
544:Sacrilege
346:When the
342:The trial
279:Ripamonti
252:Monastery
217:Charles V
210:Charles V
171:'s novel
791:March 2,
423:Borromeo
328:Carnival
202:Sassuolo
135:Children
613:May 18,
432:Adelchi
221:Fiefdom
97:Italian
830:, 1963
633:, 2002
484:, and
437:plague
225:Ascoli
147:(born
332:Pavia
283:Monza
198:Count
159:, in
157:Monza
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482:Totò
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