A Venetian Affair: A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century

A Venetian Affair: A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century | Andrea Di Robilant | Coming of Age in 18th Century Europe

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A Venetian Affair:...

	A Venetian Affair: A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century Andrea Di Robilant Vintage, 2005 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 47 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In the waning days of Venice?s glory in the mid-1700s, Andrea Memmo was scion to one the city?s oldest patrician families. At the age of twenty-four he fell passionately in love with sixteen-year-old Giustiniana Wynne, the beautiful, illegitimate daughter of a Venetian mother and British father. Because of their dramatically different positions in society, they could not marry. And Giustiniana?s mother, afraid that an affair would ruin her daughter?s chances to form a more suitable union, forbade them to see each other. Her prohibition only fueled their desire and so began their torrid, secret seven-year-affair, enlisting the aid of a few intimates and servants (willing to risk their own positions) to shuttle love letters back and forth and to help facilitate their clandestine meetings. Eventually, Giustiniana found herself pregnant and she turned for help to the infamous Casanova?himself infatuated with her.

Two and half centuries later, the unbelievable story of this star-crossed couple is told in a breathtaking narrative, re-created in part from the passionate, clandestine letters Andrea and Giustiniana wrote to each other.

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Historical romance - the real thing!

I am an avid reader of historical fiction and usually dabble in non-fiction a few times a year. Venice seems to be a pull lately, and this wonderful and detailed account of two young lovers during the last days of Venice was a treat.

First, it is thrilling to read a real life account of a love forbidden by class and social snobbery, and two people who could not help themselves but to risk reputation, political power and wealth in spite of it all. Similar to fairy tales, Andrea Memmo and Giustiniana Wynne must contend with scheming enemies, jealous contenders and a watchful and foreboding mother, and in response they develop a secret code and a network of informants, allies and spies that spans Europe at times.

Second, they were pals with Casanova. How could life in Venice or Paris be boring when Casanova is around? His exploits have lived on for 250 years - thus reading anything that bears witness to his world first hand is fascinating.

Third, all is not roses in this romance. In addition to the aforementioned barriers to their love, they must also overcome infidelity, jealousy, distrust and large, looming secrets. Reading excerpts from their letters and seeing how they accomplish these feats is amazing. Giustiniana in particular shows astonishing cunning at times - and manages to accomplish a feat which today still seems impossible to the media and general public. Just goes to show how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Finally, the European scene during this time is fascinating in and of itself. I loved having the opportunity to witness it through Giustiniana's eyes and words, and watching her grow as well. We see her develop from a sheltered, dreamy adolescent into a worldly woman who was a century or more ahead of the rest of the world with regard to women's roles and freedoms. Her lost love, personal sacrifices and struggles to be accepted by society shaped her into a fascinating woman.

Andrea Di Robilant deserves enormous thanks for bringing his father's dream into fruition by translating these letters, researching family and political history, and writing it all down to share with the world.

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Coming of Age in 18th Century Europe

We have romantic notions about the balls, the masques, the outings, the houses and the art of this period. We don't often consider how little personal freedom the the young nobles attending the balls in the ornate palaces had. Young people could not enjoy their youth. They had to navigate double standards set by society. How did they cope with the emotions and hormones of youth?

With power and money at stake, romantic love was considered indulgent and selfish. In Venice, matches needed not only parental approval, but also approval by the oligarchs. Blemishes on the reputation of a parent or grandparent diminished their progeny's value in the marriage market. The probablity of a happy marriage was very low. Love, courtly love, was a dream of novels and songs, not for the children of dynasts.

The young people that come alive through the letters inherited by the Di Robilant family know they are fated. Unlike Romeo and Juliet, they accept their fate. They carry on and maintain a friendship through letters.

I felt very sorry for Guistiniana, who had NO social or emotional support for her feelings. In contrast Andrea had the love of his parents and the admiration of a society that allowed him to flirt and enjoy dalliances that were hurtful to Guistiniana. He seemed very cold at times for not ackowledging her risks. Mrs. Anna, never acknowledges her role in hindering her daughter's future.

While this book could have been much shorter, it was worhtwhile. It paints a portrait of how the time's social mores played out in the lives of two teens as they become twentysomethings... and how they made a life for themselves.

I came to this after reading Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon by the same author which describes the life and times of the next generation of the Memmo family. While "Affair" is good and I recommend it, I even more highly recommend "Lucia" for people who are interested in this period.

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Nightingale

Andrea Di Robilant's book based on the correspondence between Andrea Memmo and Giustiniana Wynne paints a vivid picture of love in the 18th Century. The social division between the socially venerated Venetian family and the girl from the wrong side of the tracks is a classic tale. The correspondence between Andrea and Giustiniana who use subterfuge to be able to catch a glimpse of each other and be together gives the love affair a timeless feel. Some of Andrea's letters are positively steamy where he talks about his "little nightingale" and sends love letters glazed with sticky residue. Giustiniana's prose is eloquent and tortured as she considers every aspect of her love for Andrea in their correspondence. The political setting of European war, the shift of the Wynne family to Paris, London and Padua all serve to give a context to this love affair. At times, Di Robilant tends toward making this more of a research paper than telling a compelling story. However, the heat and obsession of a lifelong unrequited love more than come through the pages. Overall, I found this an interesting reading experience that allowed me to know a bit about the historical background in addition to the personal fortunes of these two real people and their romance. Enjoy!

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