Griselda

A very ancient time in Salluzzo, there lived a marquis named Gualtieri. He was not married and had no
children and spent all his time hunting. His subjects often begged him to take wife to have an heir. After
a thousand insistent, Gualtieri agrees to find a wife on condition that his subjects must honor whoever it
was.

Gualtieri liked a beautiful girl who was the daughter of a poor farmer, and soon after agreeing with his
father he informed his subjects. He arranged for gifts to be set up inviting his most noble relatives and
preparing elegant clothes for the young woman. On the wedding day, Gualtieri went on horseback, to
the farmer’s poor house, and where he asked the amazing Griselda to marry him. Griselda answered
‘Yes’ and Gualteri took her out of the house and had her dressed in clothes made-up for her. Then he
put a gold crown on her head, presenting her as his bride-to-be.

GUaltieri celebrated from his palace where he held a reception worthy as if Griselda had been daughter
to the king of France. Shortly thereafter, the Griselda gave birth to a child who made the Gualtieri very
happy. The Marquess, however, decided to test his wife's love. It starts by falsely telling her that the
subjects were complaining about her because she was not noble, especially because she had given birth
to a daughter.

The young woman humbly answered that her husband could do what he think best for his own dignity
and contentment, as she knows herself far inferior to his people.

A short time later, Gualtieri sent a servant to his wife with the sad task of taking the child away, leaving
Griselda to expect the worst. Gualtieri, amazed by the modesty of Griselda, sends the child to an
honourable lady in Bologna, requesting her to not reveal whose child it was and to educate it carefully.

After years Gualtieri and the young woman had a son, a prince very dear to Gualtieri. However, the
Marquess shows himself again unhappy with his wife and let her understand that the child will also have
the fate already touched on her first daughter. Griselda bear all this with patience and suffering soul
that surprised her husband. In the meantime, the subjects of the Marquis accused him of being a cruel
and heartless man.

When some years had passed, Gualtieri decided to subject his wife to a final and cruellest trial. He made
her believe that he had asked the Pope for a dispensation in order to repudiate and remarry. Gualtieri
intended to send her home without anything. Griselda's only request was to be able to wear a shirt at
least. And so it was that he returned Griselda to his father to take care of the humble housework.

Gualtieri made his subjects believe that he wanted to marry a little girl of the Counts of Panago near
Bologna and sent for Griselda calling her to prepare the palace and the banquet. On the wedding day,
Griselda received all the guests in honourable manner, and graced them all with very cheerful
expression.

Griselda was waiting curiously and anxiously for the new bride of Gualtieri, who was actually making her
twelve-year-old daughter and her six-year-old brother arrive at will. When the new bride arrives,
Griselda humbly welcomed the beautiful woman and is complimented by Gualtieri.

Gualtieri was now convinced of the patience and patience of his wife who had passed every trial and
decided to put an end to the wicked. He told her that in reality those cruelties were meant to test her by
showing everyone that she was given the role of wife of the Marquis for her subjects. The women
brought her in a chamber, took off her humble cloth, and they had her put on an elegant dress and
brought her back to the Palace hall where everyone was happy and they celebrated.