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March 28 - April 4, 2004 |
A Real Family Venetian Affair
Italian author Andrea di Robilant revitalizes 18th-century romance in true-life novel
By Darby Macnab
Originally Published: 2003-11-16
Based on love letters found in the attic of a Venetian palazzo and dating back to the mid-18th century, A Venetian Affair is the true story of Andrea Memmo, one of the last great Venetian statesmen, and Giustiniana Wynne, a beautiful Anglo-Venetian of illegitimate birth. Because of Memmo's social standing, a marriage between the two was unthinkable, but a long-standing and passionate love developed between them as they struggled to defy the societal pressure of upper-class Venice in its golden era.
Author Andrea di Robilant, himself a descendant of Andrea Memmo, transports the reader back to the 1750s, revealing heartfelt, often erotic notes written in secret code between the two illicit lovers as they plan romantic trysts in borrowed rooms, or struggle with the jealousy and paranoia familiar to anyone who has experienced a great love affair. All the while, they maintain a respectable distance from one another at the salons, masked balls and gambling houses of their social set.
Eventually their ardour results in a desperate and ill-fated marriage plan which backfires, and Giustiniana is forced to leave Venice. As she travels through Europe to London, their correspondence continues, revealing not only a remarkable love story, but a fascinating view of European society in the time of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763).
Memmo's original letters were found by the author's father, who cracked the lovers' secret code and began the research into their lives that would culminate in this book. Di Robilant's colourful narrative sets the scene for the reader, then allows the letters to speak for themselves, enriching the tale without eclipsing the poignant love story itself. What emerges is a portrait of two strong-willed and charismatic individuals living in a fascinating period of European history.
Tandem caught up with author Andrea di Robilant during his recent visit to Toronto.
The original letters that you had to work with must have seemed like the next best thing to time travel. How did it feel reading them for the first time?
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