Stradella by F. Marion Crawford

The story revolves around a mysterious and ancient Italian noble family with a dark history of murder, revenge, and tragedy. The narrative explores the downfall of this aristocratic family through themes of decay, corruption, and moral disintegration.

By F. Marion Crawford · First published 1899 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Literary Fiction · 23 chapters · 124,951 words

First lines

The Senator Michele Pignaver, being a childless widower of several years' standing and a personage of wealth and worth in Venice, made up his mind one day that he would marry his niece Ortensia, as soon as her education was completed. For he was a man of culture and of refined tastes, fond of music, much given to writing sonnets and to reading the works of the elegant Politian, as well as to composing sentimental airs for the voice and lute. He patronised arts and letters with vast credit and secret economy; for he never gave anything more than a supper and a recommendation to the poets, musicians, and artists who paid their court to him and dedicated to him their choicest productions. The supper was generally a frugal affair, but his reputation in aesthetic matters was so great that a word from him to a leader of fashion, or a letter of introduction to a Venetian Ambassador abroad, often proved to be worth more than the gold he abstained from giving.

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What this Textopian page supports

Stradella is listed on Textopian as a novel by F. Marion Crawford, dated 1899 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: F. Marion Crawford
• Date: 1899 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Literary Fiction, Drama, Coming-of-Age
• Length: 124,951 words
• Structure: 23 chapters, 2,030 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Stradella by F. Marion Crawford
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

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Genres

• Historical Fiction — The story is set in a specific historical context, exploring themes of societal norms and personal relationships in 17th-century Venice.
• Romance — The central plot revolves around the romantic tension between Ortensia and Stradella, highlighting themes of love and desire.
• Literary Fiction — The writing style is rich and descriptive, focusing on character development and emotional depth.
• Drama — The narrative includes intense emotional conflicts and character interactions that drive the plot.

Tags

Historical Fiction · Romance · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller · Suspense · Italian Setting · 18th Century · Baroque Era · Opera Singer · Composer · Musician

Contents

• CHAPTER I
• CHAPTER II
• CHAPTER III
• CHAPTER IV
• CHAPTER V
• CHAPTER VI
• CHAPTER VII
• CHAPTER VIII
• CHAPTER IX
• CHAPTER X
• CHAPTER XI
• CHAPTER XII
• CHAPTER XIII
• CHAPTER XIV
• CHAPTER XV
• CHAPTER XVI
• CHAPTER XVII
• CHAPTER XVIII
• CHAPTER XIX
• CHAPTER XX
• CHAPTER XXI
• CHAPTER XXII
• CHAPTER XXIII

More by F. Marion Crawford

• The Upper Berth (1885)
• The Witch of Prague (1891)
• The Heart of Rome (1903)
• Via Crucis (1899)
• An American Politician (1904)
• The Primadonna (1908)
• A Roman Singer (1904)
• In the Palace of the King (1900)
• All works by F. Marion Crawford