Vivaldi's Virgins

A History of the Ospedale della Pietà, Antonio Vivaldi, and the orphans of this musical theatre in Venice in the 18th century

The Pio Ospedale della Pietà was opened in 1346. It accepted unwanted babies through a hole in the wall. Most of the children (girls and a few boys who were taught a trade and released in adolescence) were believed to be fathered mostly by noblemen and their mistresses. The Ospedale was a charitable institution and orphanage operated by nuns. The Ospedale was supported by the city of Venice and ruled by governors elected by the Senate. It was also endowed by the anonymous fathers and supported by the proceeds from the concerts given by the children. By the 17th century the Ospedale della Pietà was a renowned music school and it was considered the best of four ospedali in Venice. It had a population of over 5000 and still operates today on a smaller enrollment. The performances of the Ospedale della Pietà were for aristocratic audiences. The orphans (performers) sat behind a musical gallery (metal grille) and were protected from staring eyes. There are many accounts of their angelic voices and they were highly praised for their instrumental accomplishments.

Female vocalists, at the time, were allowed to travel all over Europe to perform but female instrumentalists were not because they would have been in too close to the company of men. For this reason, especially, the safety of the female orchestras from the ospedali was especially appealing and encouraged women to remain through middle age and become teachers there since their only other choices were to become nuns or to marry.
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