Exhibit Number
04
4 February 2021 at 17:00:00
Image Credits:
Image: Maltese gentildonne as portrayed by French artist Antoine de Favray
The case of 31-year old Anna Zammit from Zebbug is perhaps one of the few Maltese case-studies in which a woman is reported to have had bisexual relations with a man and a woman.
On 8 June 1702 Anna declared that she had a lascivious relationship with the 29 year-old Don Bartholomeo Bonnici and his sister the tertiary nun Rosaria. She declared that apart from caressing, masturbating and touching her sexual parts with those of Don Bartholomeo, Anna had weekly touching and kissing sessions with suor Rosaria. The two siblings apparently complied because Anna - who had a fame of sainthood among the villagers of Zebbug - told them that such behaviour would free them from lust.
Cassar, C. (2003). 'Homosexuality and Moral Value in Historical Perspective: The Case of Malta in a European Context' in Paul A. Bartolo & Mark G. Borg (Eds): Homosexuality - Challenging the Stigma. Valletta: Agenda Publishers