In New York, there stands a statue of J. Marion Sims, a man known as the ‘father of gynaecology’. Asks historian Monica H. Green — ‘why the field of women’s medicine has a father but no mother’. Well, perhaps there was one - enter Trota of Salerno.
italian women
Femme Fatales – Lucrezia Borgia
Murderous temptress or weak pawn? These are the two enduring images of Lucrezia Borgia, but are either at all true? Evidence suggests not.
Artemisia Gentileschi – Spirit of Caesar
Forgotten by history for hundreds of years, Artemisia Gentileschi is only now starting to reclaim her rightful place among the great Baroque painters. Often overshadowed by early tragedies, she nevertheless made her way in a world that rarely gave opportunities to women.
Catherine de’ Medici – Queen Mother of France
When King Henry II of France died in 1559, Catherine de’ Medici was propelled onto the political stage. She remained the true power behind the French throne for the rest of her life, influencing the reigns of her three sons as they each inherited the crown.