One of the frescoes of Villa Emo, a splendid residence in Fanzolo, in the province of Treviso, narrates the vicissitudes of poor Verginia, as told by Tito Livio.
The narrative takes place in ancient Rome, and sees the intersection of purity, deception and death, under the skilful hand of the artist, Zelotti.
Virginia, a young girl already promised in marriage to the tribune Lucius Icilio, is the example of loyalty and honest commitment and righteousness. She, beautiful and fresh, is the object of the torrid desire of Appius Claudius, who tries at first to buy her vilely with money and precious gifts. Seeing her resistance, he then decides to rely on one of his customers for a trap in which Verginia will be given to the lust of Claudius as a slave.
In an interweaving of events that we will only see again in Shakespeare, Verginia is helped to free herself first by the crowd, and then by a timely intervention of her father's friends who summon him back to Rome from his military engagement.
There was nothing to be done, the judge at the trial that decided the fate of Virginia was Appius Claudius himself: the young woman would have to leave the forum as a slave of the latter's client.
A sudden revolt, invoked by the father, gave him the pretext to hide his daughter in a small temple and there, free her forever giving her death.
And here is the body of Virginia, lifeless. Dead because too beautiful and pure, but chosen by an evil man with low and cruel instincts.
The fresco is located in the central hall and depicts the most tragic moment, the one immediately after the death of the girl, the father who flees, Appius Claudius who realizes that he will never have what he wanted to take by force.
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