The Nun Of Monza – A Scandal That Inspired Artists
The story of Marianna de Leyva who later became Sister Virginia Maria shocked the 17th century Italy. A 13 year old upper-class girl who was forcefully put in a monastery, fell in love with a nobleman, gave birth to a child and then was put in closed cell for 14 years.
Marianne was the eldest daughter of a Spanish nobleman. She lived in Monza, a city in Italian Lombardia. When she was 13 years old, against her will, she was sent by her father to the monastery of the Order of St. Benedict. The father was motivated by a simple thirst for money. – Marianne’s mother died and left her daughter a large fortune. To get this fortune, the father sent his daughter to a monastery, and he himself received the entire inheritance.
Three years later, she took monastic vows and became a nun, taking the name Sister Virginia Mary.
That year, when the young nun turned 23, she began a secret relationship with the count, who lived next door to the monastery and from the windows of his palace could observe the nuns in the monastery courtyard.
It all started with the fact that the count, having noticed the beautiful nun, sent her a letter in which he confessed his sympathy for her. Touched by unknown attention from a man, the nun, with the help of two other nuns, began secretly meeting with the count.
The consequence of these meetings was that the nun gave birth to two children from the count. One child (son) died immediately after birth. The second child was a daughter, whom the Count recognized as his own daughter.
This story did not end with a happy ending. The relationship between the nun and the count lasted 10 years. During this time, the loving couple made not only friends and children, but also enemies. One of the enemies was one of the nuns of the monastery, but she, of course, was not one of those who helped organize secret meetings. So this enemy nun, having found out about the affair, begins to blackmail the count, asking for money. Having received the desired amount, the enemy nun does not stop and continues to blackmail the count. As a result, the count… kills this nun.
Of course, the secret was once revealed. The count was sent to prison. The daughter who lived with him was given to the guardianship of the count’s mother. And Sister Virginia Maria was locked in a cell from which she did not leave for 14 years. In this tiny cell the nun was deprived of absolutely everything. Air came in only through a tiny gap through which food was pushed into her. No walking, no moving, no washing…. The nun stayed in this cell until her death…
The shocking story of a nun from Monza has inspired writers and painters to create masterpieces.
The greatest Italian novelist of all time Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873) has written a historic novel “The Betrothed” (It. “I promessi sposi”) based on the events of the nun of Monza. “The Betrothed” is considered the most representative work of Italian romanticism and one of the maxims of Italian literature due to the depth of its themes
Italian directors have made several films on the theme of the nun of Monza. The most famous are “La monaca di Monza” (1969) directed by Eriprando Visconti and “La monaca di Monza” (1987) directed by Luciano Odorisio.
And of course the theme of the nun of Monza did not leave artists indifferent. While not having the opportunity to see the nun in person, they created her portraits based on their own imagination. Therefore, all portraits of the nun of Monza are a fantasy.
