The Female Characters in The Cameo Keeper
by Deborah Swift
Mia Caiozzi – astrologer and herbalist
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| Tarot Cards, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain |
Mia’s main aim in this book is to persuade Jacopo, her fiancé, that it is time for them to marry and set up home together. He wants to wait as he doesn’t feel he earns enough to support her - he is only an apprentice physician. During the book Mia becomes astrologer to the Pope’s consort, Donna Olimpia, and as she is on the hospital board, Mia thinks this will be a route to more success for Jacopo. Unfortunately, Jacopo has become an enemy of Donna Olimpia, and so the Mia and Jacopo find themselves estranged and on opposite sides of a divide.
Giulia Tofana – renowned Renaissance poisoner
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| Aqua Tofana, Wikimedia Commons |
Giulia Tofana was a real poisoner and there has been much speculation about her history, and her life, online. Because the authorities are still looking for her, Giulia's main motivation is to protect her step-daughter Mia from her dangerous past.
Giulia has married a man she thinks is the pinnacle of respectability and will make her reputation unimpeachable. But Cesare Ranchetti is not at all what he seems, and Giulia finds herself torn between loyalty to him and protecting her daughter.
Donna Olimpia Maidalchini – a real power behind the throne
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| Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, Wikimedia Commons |
In the turbulent world of seventeenth-century Rome, few figures wielded as much influence as Donna Olimpia Maidalchini. Born in 1591 to a minor noble family, Olimpia rose far above her station to the heart of papal power through political cunning and her unshakeable self belief. She is keen to find out how long she will have to turn Rome into the city she dreams of – and she consults astrologer Mia to find out how long the Pope’s reign over Rome will last.
Donna Olimpia was Pope Innocent X’s most trusted advisor and, many whispered, the true power behind his rule. Known throughout Rome as La Papessa – the Papess – Olimpia took on roles traditionally reserved for men: receiving ambassadors, influencing cardinal appointments, and overseeing financial affairs in the Vatican. Her apartments in the Palazzo Pamphili became a second centre of power, and her voice carried weight not only in the palace but in foreign courts.
Donna Olimpia was a ‘doer’, never sitting back, playing a part in the patronage of art and architecture, and playing a key role in the construction of the new Pamphili palace in the Piazza Navona, one of the grandest urban projects of baroque Rome. She was also a dangerous adversary and could destroy fortunes in the blink of an eye.
Nina Barcarola – Courtesan
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| Courtesan with servants, Wikimedia Commons |
Nina Barcarola was a prominent Italian singer and courtesan renowned for her exceptional vocal talent and her involvement in the intricate political and cultural milieu of the time. Her career flourished under the patronage of Cardinal Antonio Barberini who was the enemy of the current Pope. Barcarola’s performances at home were not only musical events but also social gatherings that attracted Rome’s elite, reflecting her status as both an artist and a courtesan.
In this novel, Mia falls in with Nina Barcarola as part of Donna Olimpia’s plan to ‘clean up’ prostitution in Rome, to Jacopo’s disgust.
In 1645, amidst escalating tensions between the Barberini family and Pope Innocent X of the Pamphili family, Nina Barcarola was arrested – a move orchestrated by the Pamphili to undermine Cardinal Barberini’s reputation.
The female characters in The Cameo Keeper are all based on real people, and belie the idea that Rome was only controlled by powerful men. Both in full view, and behind the scenes, the women of Rome were determined to have their say.
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