|
Edward Charles Novels in History |
|
Writing ‘Daughters of the Doge’ |
|
What gave you the idea for Daughters of the Doge?
As I was finishing In the Shadow of Lady Jane I began to realise that I was enjoying myself. I had also made friends with Richard Stocker and with Dr Thomas Marwood and could not face losing touch with them.
I learned from somewhere that Dr Marwood may have been one of the doctors who visited the Earl of Devon, Edward Courtenay, whilst he was in prison at Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire to review his medical condition prior to his possible release. Then I discovered (I think it was through Honiton Museum) that Dr Marwood accompanied Courtenay, on an extended visit to Venice, in 1556.
It all sounded too good to be true, as I assumed had he been invited, Thomas would have invited Richard to join them. I brought Courtenay into the later portion of In the Shadow of Lady Jane and established a link between him and Richard Stocker, just in case.
After some searching, I managed to find an old copy of Sorrowful Captives by Horatia Durant, a slim biography of the Tudor Earls of Devon. The final chapter outlined the Earl’s visit to Venice and his death after catching a fever whilst flying his falcons on the little island of Lio. It was only nine pages, but it gave me a timescale; enough to create an outline.
What could Richard do when he reached Venice? That was the next question. There was a long period between the date when Courtenay arrived in Venice and his final demise. It needed filling. With Richard, aged twenty and in an exotic foreign land, it seemed quite likely there would be some women involved somewhere.
The Honest Courtesan, Veronica Franco, jumped into my life and as a bonus, the front cover of the book showed her painted by Tintoretto. Having dabbled in oil painting for a few years and at that time struggling with portraits in oils, it seemed too good a subject to miss. A little research showed Tintoretto to be a fascinating character and well worth including.
Virgins of Venice insisted that Richard could not possibly fail to notice a gaggle of excited boys outside one or other of the many convents in Venice at that time. I chose Sant’ Alvise mainly for its location in Cannaregio, not far from Tintoretto’s house and studio. So where did Faustina Contarini come from you ask? In July 2004 she won Wimbledon at the age of seventeen. Well...it was the determination in that sideways look. Too good to waste.
The story had advanced quite well when, with echoes of The Ornament of the World ringing round in my mind, Richard encountered the daughter of an Arabic spice trader. Yasmeen Ahmed entered the story quietly, but in her own way she is very persistent.
So Richard finds himself in an exotic location, his expenses paid by the last of the Plantagenets, learning to draw and paint in the bottega of Tintoretto, and deeply involved with a Nun, a Courtesan, and a Muslim. Each is, in her own way, imprisoned by the tight structure of Venetian society. They are all Daughters of the Doge.
Yes you’re right. The story wrote itself.
|