Publication Date: December 13, 2022
In sixteenth-century Venice, one young noblewoman dares to resist the choices made for her
Venice in 1509 is on the brink of war. The displeasure of Pope Julius II is a continuing threat to the republic, as is the barely contained fighting in the countryside. Amid this turmoil, noblewoman Justina Soranzo, just sixteen, hopes to make a rare love marriage with her sweetheart, Luca Cicogna. Her hopes are dashed when her father decides her younger sister, Rosa, will marry in a strategic alliance and Justina will be sent to the San Zaccaria convent, in the tradition of aristocratic daughters. Lord Soranzo is not acting only to protect his family. It’s well known that he is in debt to both his trading partners and the most infamous courtesan in the city, La Diamante, and the pressure is closing in.
After arriving at the convent, Justina takes solace in her aunt Livia, one of the nuns, and in the growing knowledge that all is not strictly devout at San Zaccaria. Justina is shocked to discover how the women of the convent find their own freedom in what seems to her like a prison. But secrets and scandals breach the convent walls, and Justina learns there may be even worse fates for her than the veil, if La Diamante makes good on her threats.
Desperate to protect herself and the ones she loves, Justina turns to Luca for help. She finds she must trust her own heart to make the impossible decisions that may save or ruin them all.
During the 16th century, men dictated the fate of women, first as a father and then as a husband. For women of nobility, their feelings about these decisions were irrelevant.
Author Gina Buonaguro introduces readers to the Soranzo sisters in The Virgins of Venice. Justina, 16, and Rosa, 13, find themselves sentenced to unexpected fates by their father.
Told from Justina’s point of view, the story highlights the impact of social and religious guidelines during this timeframe. While Justina had envisioned a marriage with a young nobleman, she was sent to the convent. Young Rosa, as was the custom, was married to a man old enough to be her father.
Rich with historical detail, Venice comes to life during a time of great political unrest and increased scrutiny regarding the behavior of nuns. The characters provide a backdrop to illustrate different types of relationships.
Through it all, Justina puts her thoughts on paper in an effort to voice the desire for freedom. Ultimately, she must make a gut-wrenching choice.
The Virgins of Venice transports readers to a time period where no place is safe from secrets and scandals.
GINA BUONAGURO is the co-author of The Wolves of St. Peters, Ciao Bella and The Sidewalk Artist, as well as several romance titles under the name Meadow Taylor. The Virgins of Venice is her first solo novel. She has a BA in English from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and earned an MA in English from the University of British Columbia while on a Fulbright Scholarship. Born in New Jersey, Gina Buonaguro lives in Toronto.
