Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy

by Judith C. Brown

Book Overview

The discovery of the fascinating and richly documented story of Sister Benedetta Carlini, Abbess of the Convent of the Mother of God, by Judith C. Brown was an event of major historical importance. Not only is the story revealed in Immodest Acts that of the rise and fall of a powerful woman in a church community and a record of the life of a religious visionary, it is also the earliest documentation of lesbianism in modern Western history.
Born...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195042255
• ISBN13: 9780195042252
• Release Date: December 1986
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Renaissance lesbianism

This is the true story of a mother superior named Sister Benedetta Carlini and another nun from a small village near Florence in 17th century Italy who basically liked to rub bodies together in bed until they reached orgasm. This if course was a big no-no if you're a nun sworn to chastity. People found out and there was a trial in which the private sex life of these two nunnies was exposed. The scandal made them both lose their reputations. This is one of the earliest and most sensationalistic accounts of lesbian love on record. The fact that it was between two nuns makes it just that much more shocking and intriguing.(...)

Excellent writing!

This book is a fabulous depiction of the Italian nun, Benedetta Carlini, whose drive for ambition in the Catholic church drove her to get the help of her lesbian lover to create the illusion of stigmata. Through this, she moves to new heights of power and respect in the church and brings money and fortune to the church...but upon accusations and scrutiny, she's brought down to pay for her ambition. The story is a tenderly told one. It has feminist elements and deals with the desperate desire of spoils, along with a not-so-pretty picture of the Church.

One of my all-time favorites

If you are interested in Renaissance Italy, gender studies, or the history of the Christian Church, this book is for you. This book presents the story of an ambitious abbess on the road to sainthood a la Catherine of Siena and her fall from grace as she becomes too powerful for the comfort of her male collegues. It is the story of the making and unmaking of a saint. This is one of my favorite books of all time.