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"Glorious Whore of Milan"
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About the Author... Larry Maisner
I was born in London, England, where I survived both the Nazi blitzkrieg, training as a boxer in a thoroughly unlovely London gym, and a typically English public school education. Those experiences were equally harsh.
Emigrating to the United States, I enlisted in the United States Air Force, graduated from electronics technical school, and served overseas. On returning stateside, I won an AAU featherweight boxing title between duty assignments.
I have been a writer for most of my professional life, writing technical and sports books for bread, and novels for the love of it. When a trusted and learned writer friend confided that "my work needed work," I enrolled in the UCLA Writers Workshop to study creative writing under Richard Setlowe, Michael Levine, and Leonardo Berkovici.
My first published novel, Engines of Corruption, is a grim chiller of a political thriller. My second work is a literary novel titled Glow From a Gentle Lantern. To complete my stroll through my favorite genres, I wrote The Glorious Whore of Milan.
I am a member of the Independent Writers of Southern California, and am at home in Encino, California, with my wife Val and Airdale Terrier Laddie.
A description of Glorious Whore of Milan
The story of the Glorious Whore is set in 16th century Italy, the Renaissance Period. In that vibrant time, advances in medicine, arts, sciences, humanities, and Roman Catholic Church doctrine, brought the world out of the dark ages into a period of enlightenment. Nevertheless, political and court intrigues, brutal military skirmishes, and oppression of the poor were still rampant.
Caterina, The Glorious Whore, was born against this background. She is the daughter of exploited Flemish immigrants whose settlement relocates to Lombardy, near Milan. At an early age, she exhibits signs of genius. By age nine, she is multilingual and has astutely persuaded the settlers to hire a tutor for the children of the settlement.
Religious intolerance and cruelty drive the Governor of Lombardy, Count Gilberto Vannini, to have Caterina's settlement destroyed. There are only two survivors, Caterina and her father's horse, Ten Eyck. They complete an arduous journey to the abbey where Caterina was born. The abbot of the abbey, Charles Borromeo, is horrified by Caterina's story, particularly because he recognizes the carnage as the work of his uncle, Count Vannini. Caterina tells Borromeo that she plans to carry out a "holy vendetta" against Vannini, and needs Borromeo's help to do it. When she explains her plan, Borromeo is delighted to give Caterina a letter of introduction to Count Vannini.
By sheer guile, Caterina confounds and captivates Vannini and his wife, who invite her to stay at their castle indefinitely. Caterina has gained the portal through which she can gain access to Vannini's ample wealth.
Much to the Vannini's chagrin, Caterina starts attempting to upgrade the status and living conditions of the staff and their children at the castle, at Vannini's expense. Various ecclesists become agitated by Caterina's activities, including Angelo di Medici, Cardinal of the Milan Holy See. Cardinal di Medici threatens to bring Caterina before the Court of the Holy Inquisition. Alarmed, Vannini and his wife adopt Caterina to protect her from such fate. Caterina, now Vannini's daughter, has achieved even greater leverage for milking the Count's coffers.
Charles Borromeo, now an archbishop, spirits Caterina away to the abbey when he learns that the Cardinal is about to have Caterina tried by the Inquisition. Borromeo appoints a new abbot to take his place at the abbey, then goes on a lengthy mission to minister to his flock. The new abbot, who is grossly unfit for his appointment, seduces and impregnates Caterina. When the abbess recognizes Caterina's condition, she calls Caterina "That Whore! Glorious, yet a whore."
Cardinal di Medici is invested as Pope Pius IV. With di Medici now at the Vatican, the threat to Caterina's safety is removed, so Borromeo returns Caterina to the Count and Countess. Caterina refuses to have her offspring bear the name of Vannini. Sick and about to deliver, she journeys to the Vatican to beg/blackmail the Pope to have her child bear the revered family name of Borromeo instead of Vannini. On the return journey, Caterina dies in delivering handsome, healthy twin sons. The Borromeo twins found a dynasty for the ages.
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