Tuscan Countess: The Life and Extraordinary Times of Matilda of Canossa

This is a fast-paced and colorful exploration of the life of Matilda of Canossa (c. 1046-1115), the woman who loved a pope and was loved by him, successfully defied the Holy Roman Emperor, and changed the map of Europe. A new kind of history, this biography also carries the flavor of present-day Italy.

Matilda of Canossa, the "Great Countess," was a remarkable woman. Her personal power was so extraordinary that even centuries after her death she became the first woman to be interred in St…