''The Lady of Monza'' ( it, La monaca di Monza, also known as ''The Awful Story of the Nun of Monza'' and ''The Nun of Monza'') is a 1969

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Eriprando Visconti Eriprando Visconti di Modrone, Count of Vico Modrone (September 24, 1932 – May 26, 1995) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was the nephew of the more famous Luchino Visconti. Born in Milan into a noble family, i ...

. It is loosely based on the real life events of Marianna de Leyva, better known as "

The Nun of Monza Sister Virginia Maria (born Marianna de Leyva y Marino; December 4, 1575 – January 17, 1650) was an Italian nun. She gave birth to two children fathered by a local aristocrat, and had connived in the murder of another nun to cover up the affai ...

", whose story was made famous by

Alessandro Manzoni Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni (, , ; 7 March 1785 – 22 May 1873) was an Italian poet, novelist and philosopher. He is famous for the novel '' The Betrothed'' (orig. it, I promessi sposi) (1827), generally ranked among the maste ...

's novel '' The Betrothed''.

Cast

Anne Heywood Anne Heywood (born 11 December 1931) is a British retired film actress, who is best known for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in ''The Fox''. Early life and career Born as Violet Joan Pretty in 1931 to Harold and Edna E. ( Lowndes) Pre ...

: Virginia de Leyva *

Hardy Krüger Hardy Krüger (; born Eberhard August Franz Ewald Krüger; 12 April 1928 – 19 January 2022) was a German actor and author, who appeared in more than 60 films from 1944 onwards. After becoming a film star in Germany in the 1950s, Krüger increa ...

: Father Paolo Arrigone * Antonio Sabàto: Giampaolo *

Tino Carraro Agostino Carraro (1 December 1910 – 12 January 1995) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. Life and career Born in Milan, Carraro started acting at young age in several amateur stage companies. Carraro then graduated at the , ...

: Monsignor Barca *

Luigi Pistilli Luigi Pistilli (19 July 192921 April 1996) was an Italian actor of stage, screen, and television. At one time Pistilli was one of Italy's most respected actors of stage, screen, and television. In theater, he was considered one of the country's ...

: Count de Fuentes *

Carla Gravina Carla Gravina (born 5 August 1941) is an Italian actress and politician. She received a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her role in '' La terrazza'' (1980). Her other notable roles were in ''Love and Chatter'' (1957), '' Esterina ...

: Caterina da Meda *

Margarita Lozano Margarita de las Flores Lozano Jiménez (14 February 1931 – 7 February 2022) was a Spanish actress known for her career in Italian films. She worked for Luis Buñuel in '' Viridiana'', Sergio Leone in ''A Fistful of Dollars'', Pier Paolo Pas ...

: Sister Benedetta Homati *

Caterina Boratto Caterina Boratto (15 March 1915 – 14 September 2010) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 50 films between 1936 and 1993. Life and career Born in Turin, Boratto studied at the Musical Lyceum in her hometown with the purpose of bec ...

: Sister Francesca Imbersaga *

Giovanna Galletti Giovanna Galletti (27 June 1916 - 21 April 1992) was an Italian actress. She appeared in more than forty films from 1938 to 1986. Life and career Galletti began her career on stage at a young age, in the early 1930s, and later attended the Centro ...

: Sister Angela Sacchi * Anna Maria Alegiani: Sister Ottavia Ricci *

Laura Belli Laura Belli (born 11 November 1947) is an Italian actress and singer. Born in Naples, Belli studied acting at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. She made her film debut in 1969, in Eriprando Visconti's ''The Lady of Monza'', but is mainl ...

: Sister Candida Colomba *

Renzo Giovampietro Renzo Giovampietro (23 June 1924 – 10 March 2006) was an Italian actor, theatre director and playwright. Life and career Born in Velletri, Rome, the son of a carpenter and of a cook, in 1944 Giovampietro enrolled at the Silvio d’Ami ...

: Vicar Saraceno *

Pier Paolo Capponi Pier Paolo Capponi (9 June 1938 – 15 February 2018) was an Italian actor and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Subiaco, after his studies Capponi attended a theater school and later was chosen by director Vittorio De Seta for an import ...

: Count Taverna * Maria Michi: Sister Bianca Homati

References

External links

* Nunsploitation films Films directed by Eriprando Visconti Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films about clerical celibacy Italian historical drama films 1960s historical drama films Cultural depictions of Italian women 1969 drama films 1969 films 1960s Italian-language films 1960s Italian films {{historic-film-stub