Le ammaliatrici (The Enchantresses)
by Carlo Silini
Description
An extraordinary, visionary chronicle of the secret history of the 1600s, The Enchantresses recounts the end of an era: an archaic and savage time, ruled by love and revenge and loss, filled with the presence of two outstanding women, both saints and witches. This tale, based on solid historical foundations, unfolds at the frantic pace of a thriller, between the Swiss valleys, the Como countryside and the Duchy of Milan.
How many incredible lives have been washed away by the tide of the centuries? How many secret stories are only remembered by the mute testimony of the places they unfolded in – old taverns, decrepit chapels, ice-cold courtrooms, nunneries, asylums, umbrous valleys, the silent hollow of the caves?
With The Enchantresses, Carlo Silini offers an extraordinary and visionary chronicle of the untold stories of the late 1600s, thus completing the trilogy of Il ladro di ragazze (“The Girl Snatcher”, 2015) and Latte e sangue (“Milk and Blood”, 2019).
Writing at the frenzied pace of a thriller, the author unveils the mysteries of an archaic and savage time, ruled by love and revenge and loss. Two outstanding women, saints and witches at the same time, dominate a story that unfolds through the fierce, tameless nature of the Swiss Vallemaggia (Ticino), the countryside of Como and the great Duchy of Milan, under the yoke of the Spaniards.
Bargniff, a strange man sentenced to death, a vulgar thief and swindler, sits on the block just seconds before receiving the executioner’s blow. The convict starts telling the incredible stories of Maria del Maté, the young muse that inspired the carnivals of Milan, and of Maddalena di Buziis, the “witch Madonna” of the Swiss bailiwicks. Nobody believes him. His tale, however, hints at the existence of the legendary Brigade of the Fields: a commune of hopeless and dreamers, tracked down by ruthless persecutors who hunt witches and create their own saints.
With his lively style, intriguing characterizing and skilful plotting, Silini takes the reader by the hand along the captivating paths of a solidly historical novel, based on in-depth documentary research. The reader is moved, chilled, amused and outraged, in a brilliant medley of opera buffa and tragedy.
“The discovery of some ancient, hidden stories gave me the inspiration to write”, explains Carlo Silini. “Every day we walk down streets and look at places, without knowing what happened there in the past. And such stories are incredible, often soaked in blood, back from a time when the poorest had to pay the price. My aim is to give a voice to these buried stories, to the people who lived through a time of misery and brutality, suffering unspeakable injustices, especially women”.
More Information
Rights Information
Rights available
Reviews
Carlo Silini recounts the hidden story of the last decades of the 1600s in the novel set among Canton Ticino, Como, and Milan.
Ciao Como
The historical framework is solid, the plot is engaging, the narration is intense, and the characterization of environments, characters, situations, sensations, and passions is effective: Carlo Silini once again guides the reader with a steady hand through a world of perdition and redemption, in an archaic and wild seventeenth century marked by unforgettable female figures.
Convenzionali
Author Biography
Carlo Silini
Born in Mendrisio in 1965, he graduated in Theology in Freiburg in 1989. He is married and has got a son. Silini is the leader writer of the Approfondimenti column of the Primo Piano section for leading Italian Swiss daily Corriere del Ticino. He has produced several documentaries and press reports investigating Swiss society and culture.
In 2005 he was voted “Swiss Journalist of the Year” by Schweizer Journalist. In 2015 and 2017 he was awarded the “Swiss Press Awards”, the most prestigious press prize in the country.
GCE - Gabriele Capelli Editore
The Gabriele Capelli Editore (GCE) is a small Swiss publishing house, primarily focused on fiction but occasionally expanding into essays and poetry.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Gabriele Capelli Editore
- Publication Date November 2021
- Orginal LanguageItalian
- ISBN/Identifier 9788831285186
- Publication Country or regionSwitzerland
- FormatPaperback
- Primary Price 21 EUR
- Pages416
- Publish StatusPublished
- Copyright Year2021
- Page size21x15 cm (21x15) cm
- Series Part3
GCE - Gabriele Capelli Editore has chosen to review this offer before it proceeds.
You will receive an email update that will bring you back to complete the process.
You can also check the status in the My Offers area
Please wait while the payment is being prepared.
Do not close this window.