A stately woman in a brocade gown steps off a golden boat. A mirror merchant in simple white blouse takes action to preserve her republic. An elegant singer poses in a private salon. Standing at a university podium, a woman holds forth in Latin on women’s education. A cloistered nun in a walled up convent uses the only power she has—her pen. Artists hold in their hands pastels or pens or glass or thread to document or protect or adorn those around them. All these women represent Venice, Italy’s city of water and light. Libraries of books have been written about Venetian history and Venetian men’s roles in shaping it. But little is written about the lives of its women. In this book you’ll read their stories. Beautiful women, each n her own way.
