It is 1710 Venice and we meet Agata Farusi who is ten years old and her mother has just died.
She now has to live with her father and her beloved Nonna.
Nonna sees that it isn't safe for Agata to live with her father, and she is getting old and frail so she places Agata in Ospedale de la Pieta.
Ospedale de la Pieta was an orphanage for children that had been abandoned or orphaned.
It wasn't like a regular orphanage, though. It was for girls who have musical talent and who remain there until they are married. It is also a place where the children/girls were treated well.
Agata loses her name when she enters and becomes Agata de la Pieta.
I enjoyed learning about the life in this time and about the orphanage and the story of Agata de la Pieta’s life. Agata is a real person.
It was also very interesting that Vivaldi was there and that he was the person who accompanied her to the Ospedale de la Pieta. 4/5
Thank you to the author for a copy of her book. All opinions are my own.
