Matteo Bandello's Madonna Zilia Summary

Matteo Bandello was a Dominican Friar and a prolific writer of stories. Despite vowing his life in service to the Church, Bandello spent most of his time in the courts of kings and nobles, and his stories reflect his interest in the worldly, rather than the spiritual, domain.

This story features a woman named Madonna Zilia, a young mother and widow who is still quite beautiful. She draws the attention of Monsignor Filiberto, an honorable and respected soldier. He falls in love with her, but she is not interested. She refuses to even follow the Italian custom of greeting men with a kiss. Distraught, Filiberto falls violently ill. Doctors are clueless and cannot find a cure. His friend, a man from Spoleto, decides to help Filiberto and promises to persuade Madonna Zilia to come see him. He...