Holy, lusty, wealthy, and ruled by the iron fist of the Church, Renaissance Rome was no place for a strong-willed young woman. But Beatrice Cenci, 15 years old, had no intention of surrendering to an arranged marriage or to a crushing lifetime with her father, the brutal, deranged Baron Cenci. The Stained Glass Virgin chronicles the story of the real-life Beatrice, whose cunning and ferocity made her a target of the Catholic Church's savage Inquisition. In the face of sexual and cultural violence, Beatrice fought for her freedom - and risked the ultimate price.