Virdimura

Virdimura, born on a day of rains and omens, bears the name of the moss that stubbornly appears on the city walls of Catania. She was raised by her father, Master Uriah – a physician who possesses the secrets of healing herbs, rare scientific knowledge, and many languages. He taught Virdimura to heal bodies and souls, making no distinctions between Muslims, Christians, or Jews. It was her father who passed on an important secret: “Medicine does not require mastery. Only skill.” These words Virdimura repeats in her later years before the commission that decides whether to grant her, for the first time in history, a license to practice medicine.

In 14th century Italy, where fates intersect in the shadow of the boiling Etna, Simona Lo Iacono creates a grand portrait of the proud and courageous Virdimura, who battles superstitions and laws to affirm the right of every person to treatment, and women’s right to freedom.