La rivoluzione della luna / The revolution of the moon

The year was 1677 when, in Palermo, the Viceroy Don Angel de Guzmán suddenly passed away. The Kingdom’s counselors, initially struck by grief, were soon overcome by shock: in his will, Don Angel had decreed that his wife should assume the functions of Viceroy until the King of Spain made his decision.
Thus, against all laws and customs, Donna Eleonora di Mora found herself governing a Sicily ravaged by epidemics, famine, and poverty. Yet, defying all expectations, she managed to rectify the injustices of the Sacred Royal Council and improve the dire conditions of the people.
Her most revolutionary measures were those in favor of women: she established the conservatorio per le vergini pericolanti to provide orphaned girls with financial support and prevent them from turning to prostitution; she introduced a royal dowry for the neediest young women who wished to marry; and she implemented benefits for large families. All within the span of a lunar cycle.
Courageous and determined, Donna Eleonora, as the author describes her, was “a towering female figure, the only woman to govern in a male-dominated world; a magnificent example of power exercised responsibly for others, standing in eternal contrast to those who wield power for their own gain.”
Among the pages of history, Andrea Camilleri unearthed traces of this forgotten revolution and transformed them into a novel rich with imagination and pathos. With a special note by Chiara Valerio.