21st Century Feminism In 17th Century Italy

In 17th century Italy every individuals had his or her own place in society, which was determined by family lineage, occupation, and gender, among other factors. Each individual’s place in this societal hierarchy dictated how he or she was to act in any situation that they faced. As a result of this societal structure, many individuals were not able to escape the expectations that were set for them, nor did they publically question them. In 1664, the Venetian Inquisition brought up Cecilia Ferrazzi on heresy charges. These charges were a direct result of the home that Ferrazzi ran to keep girls and young women away from the dangers of men and prostitution, thus keeping their purity and virginity intact until they could marry or become nuns.
Autobiography of an Aspiring Saint contains transcripts from the interrogations that Ferrazzi was subjected to, as well as a transcript of her telling of her life story to Father Antonio da Venezia. Ferrazzi’s telling of her life story shows that she executed her free will in making decisions throughout her life rather than relying on the rest of society to tell her what decisions she should make, proving that Cecilia Ferrazzi was a feminist. Feminism in 17th century Italy was a radically different concept that what 21st century feminism is.
Feminism in the 21st century has two major points. First, all humans are equal in all aspects of life, including politics. Second, a woman does not have any limitations to what she can or cannot do purely because she is a woman. This definition of feminism cannot be applied to 17th century Italy, as even most women during that time would agree that it would be ridiculous to expect that women would be granted the same rights as men. Therefore, feminism during this time was the idea that a woman had some degree of agency that she could execute to gain control over the outcome of a situation. This agency could be gained through the political and/or social power of a husband, or another family member, religion, or societal status. Ferrazzi gained her agency through prayer and her strong religious values. A woman’s use of agency was not typically seen during this time period due to the fact that many women had already accepted their place in society. However, Ferrazzi used her agency in order to propel what she saw as her place in society, a protector of the purity of young
women. Ferrazzi’s use of her agency first impacted her, and her place in society, during her teenage years. While her parents wanted her to marry, Ferrazzi knew that she wanted to become a nun (42). In order to try and gain some control over the situation, she began to pray to the Virgin Mary that her mother would give birth to another daughter, so that Cecilia could become a nun and her sister could get married per their parents’ wishes (42). Ferrazzi stated that “A few days later [her mother] discovered that she was pregnant, at an age where she thought she wouldn’t have any more children” (42). As Ferrazzi’s prayer to the Virgin Mary resulted in her mother’s conception of another daughter, Ferrazzi’s prayer was her source of agency in this situation. Had Ferrazzi abstained from praying this prayer to the Virgin Mary, she would have had no way to take any sort of control over the situation that she was faced with. This use of her agency allowed her to command control of a situation that she would not have had control over otherwise. It also began the process of allowing her to protect her place in society. Ferrazzi frequently used these feminist ideals to keep the purity of the young women that she was protecting intact. One such instance occurred when two of the girls escaped from the residence (59). Upon finding out that they were missing, she “commended their virginity to the Most Holy Mother in order that She maintain them intact until [Ferrazzi] found them” (59). This prayer was important to her quest, as Ferrazzi had previously established a relationship through prayer with the Virgin Mary, that allowed her to receive Mary’s help when she was faced with situations that she needed to control the outcome of. After saying this prayer, Ferrazzi heard an “internal voice” telling her where she needed to go in order to find the missing girls (59). This voice showed that once again, Ferrazzi’s agency through prayer was useful to her quest, as the Virgin Mary had answered her prayer. The last thing that Ferrazzi needed in order to go on her quest to find the missing girls was permission from her confessor (59). This is significant, as it demonstrates how devoted she was to her religion. Had Ferrazzi lacked some of this devotion, her prayers to the Virgin Mary would not have been as powerful, or answered as quickly. This is due to the fact that the Virgin Mary is one of the most respected figures in Catholicism. Without Her favor, Ferrazzi’s prayers would not have had the ability to be the source of her agency. Therefore, Ferrazzi’s obedience to her various confessors throughout her life strengthened her agency, and her ability to act on feminist ideals, rather than weakened it. After securing her confessor’s permission, Ferrazzi ventured out to find the girls, and was able to locate them before their purity was compromised (59-60). The outcome of this situation shows that through a combination of prayer and devotion to her religion, Ferrazzi was able to protect the purity of her charges, as she had desired. Ferrazzi was just as concerned with her own purity as she was concerned with the purity of her charges.
She was concerned with her purity as it was not only a way to set a good example for her charges, but it was also of religious importance to her as Catholics believe that women are to stay virginal until marriage. Since Ferrazzi knew that she was never going to marry, she spent her entire life ensuring that her purity was never compromised, even if it could potentially interfere with her health. Since she suffered from bladder stones, Ferrazzi frequently suffered from the different physical side effects they caused (23). In order to help her cope with some of the symptoms that she had been experiencing for years, one of her friends, Dr. Michelangelo, consulted with another doctor about “injecting various oils into [her] with a syringe” (56). This thought did not please Ferrazzi, as in order to do this, the male doctor who would be doing this would have to see her lower half exposed, thus compromising her purity (56). Even though she refused to allow this to be done, her confessor was informed that she needed this treatment, and he promptly told her that she needed to allow it to occur (56). In order to protect her purity, Ferrazzi asked her confessor to allow her to pray before she had the procedure, and he agreed (56). After praying to the Virgin Mary, Mary told Ferrazzi that she needed to inform her confessor that this procedure shouldn’t happen, as “one can even die in
order to avoid losing one’s purity and one’s virginity at the same time” (56). This event is important in defining Ferrazzi as a feminist, as it shows that Ferrazzi was willing to lightly question her confessor in order to gain the opportunity to have her prayers and requests about a situation heard by the Virgin Mary. By praying to the Virgin Mary, as she had done in similar situations that had happened previously, Ferrazzi was able to exercise a degree of control over the situation. This degree of control existed because of the help and guidance that was granted to her by the Virgin Mary. Without this guidance, Ferrazzi would not have felt comfortable going back to her confessor to inform him that she would not be completing the recommended treatment. By being able to assert that the Virgin Mary was the one who had told her that it would be a detrimental choice to have the procedure preformed, Ferrazzi was able to have an ally that her confessor would want to disagree with. This event is also another example of how prayer is the tool through which Ferrazzi’s agency is gained. Had she never prayed to the Virgin Mary, she would have never gained an ally that she could help her when she went back to tell her confessor what her decision about the treatment was. Due to Ferrazzi’s devout Catholic faith, she was able to use prayer as a way to gain agency. This agency allowed her to protect her personal interests, as the Virgin Mary was there to help Ferrazzi shape the outcomes of many situations. Without this agency, Ferrazzi would not have been able to remain unmarried, as her parents wanted her to get married rather than become a nun. By remaining unmarried, Ferrazzi was able to look after her charges, and make sure that their purity remained intact. This decision was shaped through her prayers, which were shaped through her own personal desires. These personal desires would have remained unfulfilled without this agency. Due to the fact that Ferrazzi was able to make sure that her personal desires were in line with her religious beliefs, she was able to exercise more control of her life than many women in 17th centaury Italy were able to exercise. Ferrazzi’s desire to protect her purity also demonstrated her commitment to her place in society, as she could not protect the purity of others if she could not protect her own purity. This protection of her own purity, and the purity of many others, showed that she was willing to take action to try and control a situation to protect her place in society. Since a feminist during this time was able to use their agency to influence the outcome of a situation, and impact their place in society, Cecilia Ferrazzi was a feminist.