Ann Ward Radcliffe

The Italian Ann Ward Radcliffe

The Italian, is the last book Radcliffe published during her lifetime. With a dark, mysterious and somber tone, it concerns the themes of love, devotion and persecution by the Holy Inquisition with one of most iconic antagonists, ever written, Father Schedoni. Dealing with issues prevalent at the time of the French Revolution, such as religion, aristocracy and nationality. Radcliffe's use of veiled imagery is considered to have reached its height of sophistication and complexity in The Italian; concealment and disguise are central motifs of the novel.