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Venetian Inquisitions

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Throughout our world’s history we have encountered situations revolving around gender roles and even today they are an influential part of our society. As we look back at our past we can infer that people appealing for equality rights and equal privileges are fighting a losing battle against governmental institutions. Cecilia Ferrazzi was publicly declared to be wrong to the Venetian Inquisitions therefore she was inspired to write an autobiography to acquire an opportunity to support herself through a remarkable presentation of her personal experiences and life story. Ferrazzi’s main objective throughout her life was to pursue holiness and regardless of the humane service she was providing everyone believed she was a madwoman due to the visions …show more content…

Only men were citizens, only men bore arms, only men could be chiefs or lords or kings. There were exceptions which did not disprove the rule, when wives or widows or mothers took the place of men, awaiting their return or the maturation of a male heir. A woman who attempted to rule in her own right was perceived as an anomaly, a monster, at once a deformed woman and an insufficient male, sexually confused and, consequently, unsafe (Schutte xxiv)".
As a reflection to the previous quote we can infer that even today gender norms are unfair, and people who attempt to make them fair are suppressing women instead of introducing them to the same choices men have. It is obvious that our society has come a long way in the 21st century specially in the western hemisphere however there are still several women across the globe from different cultures that can relate to Ferrazzi’s experience of being vulnerable as an independent female during the Inquisition. Ferrazzi had encountered many visitations throughout her life and during her fourth interrogation she was asked if she recounted any of her experiences. Ferrazzi spoke by stating the following advice she received by Father Orandi,
“He said this: that it was temptation and that I should keep myself low in my nothingness, as I always have, and that the Devil could dress himself as an angel of light (Schutte …show more content…

However the one and only reason to why Ferrazzi didn’t get praised amongst her society was because she was a woman and the gender norms during that era strongly restricted her from gaining any support. Another factor that played a huge role in Ferrazzi’s time period was religion, and it certainly impacted the development of the youth. Since Ferrazzi was strongly against sexual abuse she developed refuge houses for young women who were being enticed into prostitution, therefore many people arose against her. In Ferrazzi’s testimony she stated how many people disagreed with her because she was protecting innocent young

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