Storytellinginrome.com

The above website is for a tour of The Courtesans of Rome by the gifted storyteller, Massimo.  I took the tour the other day with my friend, Shelecia who was visiting.  This was a three + hour walking tour to see the artwork, architecture, churches associated with Renaissance Courtesans and prostitutes…do you know the difference?   Courtesans were women who were high class ladies of the night who lived in a palace and were under the protection of the high class official, be it Prince or Cardinal of the church…or Pope!  They became very wealthy, often making as much as today’s equivalent of $20,000 a day.  Jewels, silks, property and gifts were bestowed on them by their protectors.  They were highly educated, often very beautiful…altho not always, and were very classy women with independence and riches.  Wives didn’t fare so well!  As protected as Courtesans were, the street Prostitures were not…there were two sets of laws.  Street prostitutes had a night time curfew and they were tormented and tortured if caught at their profession…often with public whippings.  Their life expectancy was about 25 years.  We learned why Carravaggio was often reviled as a painter…he used known prostitutes as the subject for his Religious paintings…of Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary.  We saw the beautiful homes of the Courtesans on this tour with balconies where these women could advertise as pilgrims traveled to the Vatican.  We learned about where the prostitutes could best advertise their services and where the men could best ‘shop’ for services…in one specific church, no less.  And contraception was pretty grim, drinking lead water, eating Mercury or using a lemon!  Why contraception was encouraged by the Church.  This was such an educational and interesting tour…I can’t wait to get home to read all about the Borgias and other high class courtesans, their lives and patrons.  If you are coming to Rome, I highly  recommend this tour with Massimo…and it is only 20€ per person…a huge bargain for three hours that fly by.  I promise you will be entertained!