“Le contesse Igieniche” by Saverio Sam Barbaro, an intriguing historical novel set in the Kingdom of Naples in 1889.
Centered on the story of two sisters and an intricate mystery involving one of them, the work offers a fascinating and little-known glimpse into the European aristocracy of the second half of the nineteenth century.
Publishing House: Castelvecchi Editore
Necklace: Keys
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 188
Price: € 18,50
"The sun invaded the room, forcing her to squint. She continued to stay lazily in bed, uncertain of what to do. From a clandestine writer, she had improvised herself as an equally clandestine investigator. With the difference that she had had clear ideas about what to write but now she did not know what to do to carry on her investigations."
“Le contesse igieniche” by Saverio Sam Barbaro tells of a time when it was difficult, if not impossible, to be an independent woman; the protagonist of the work, Carolina, knows this well, a twenty-two year old intelligent, cultured and bold girl, who has to deal with a society that forces women to voluntarily submit to men, and to cultivate only frivolous aspirations.
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Carolina has an older sister, Paolina, who is her opposite: fickle and conformist, she has always dreamed of a good marriage and is only interested in luxury and jewels. Married to Count Augusto Caianiello, she lives a comfortable life but to do so she must pay the price of being just a beautiful object to show off.
We are in the Kingdom of Naples in 1889: these are difficult years and the economic crisis is increasingly evident even among the highest ranks; in this social context in which prejudices and superstitions dominate, Carolina stands out with her desperate longing for freedom, certainly ahead of her time.
With sincere and unfiltered writing, the author shows us the truth behind the veneer of respectability of that controversial historical period; great attention is paid to the condition of women, often victims of domestic violence, which was unfortunately tolerated by the community. Through Carolina's gaze we can closely observe the injustices to which female figures are subjected but we can also know the protagonist's courage to rebel against her destiny: she decides to write a novel despite it being a purely male occupation, she studies and informs herself, shaping her social and political conscience and tracing her own path.
And it is precisely her resourcefulness that puts her on the trail of a mystery involving Paolina: she has suffered serious injuries after an alleged fall from a horse but Carolina is not at all convinced of the dynamics of the events; a little voice inside her suggests that her sister was the victim of her husband's violence. Between intrigues, lies and incursions into the eccentric court life of the Habsburgs, the story tells of the particular and little-known figure of the "hygienic countesses" while following Carolina's investigations, which lead her to the discovery of a diary in which unthinkable and shocking truths will be revealed to her.
SYNOPSIS OF THE WORK
In the glittering world of Habsburg high society, in the fairytale castles of Princess Sissi it was possible to find a particular kind of blue-blooded ladies. They played a singular role, considered fundamental for the continuity of the dynasty: to give themselves to the emperor to always keep his virility alive and ensure a sufficient number of heirs. They were called “Hygienic Countesses”, and the novel tells the story of one of these female figures.
AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Saverio Sam Barbaro won the Racconti nella rete competition in 2012. In 2020 he published the thriller “Al di là delle onde” for Emersioni, which was then selected for the Robinson literary tournament.
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