Beatrice Cenci
Beatrice Cenci | |
|---|---|
A possible portrait of Cenci variously attributed to Reni or Sirani, supposedly from life, praised by Stendhal, Dickens, and Hawthorne and inspiring Shelley's verse play of her life. | |
| Born | 6 February 1577 |
| Died | 11 September 1599 (aged 22) Rome, Papal States |
| Cause of death | Execution by beheading |
| Resting place | San Pietro in Montorio, Rome, Italy |
| Parent(s) | Ersilia Santacroce (mother) Count Francesco Cenci (father) |
Beatrice Cenci (/ˈtʃɛntʃi/ CHEN-chee, Italian: [beaˈtriːtʃe ˈtʃɛntʃi]; 6 February 1577 – 11 September 1599) was an Italian noblewoman imprisoned and repeatedly raped by her own father. She killed him, and was tried for murder. Despite outpourings of public sympathy, Cenci was beheaded in 1599 after a murder trial in Rome that gave rise to an enduring legend.