The Revolution of the MoonThe Revolution of the Moon

Sicily, April 16 1677. From his deathbed, Charles III's viceroy, Anielo de Guzman y Carafa, marquis of Castle Rodrigo, names his wife, Dona Eleonora, as his successor. Eleonora di Mora is a highly intelligent and capable woman who immediately applies her political acumen to heal the scarred soul of Palermo, a city afflicted by poverty, misery, and the frequent uprisings they entail. The Marquise implements measures that include lowering the price of bread, reducing taxes for large families, re-opening women's care facilities, and establishing stipends for young couples wishing to marry--all measures that were considered seditious by the conservative city fathers and by the Church. The machinations of powerful men soon result in Dona Eleonora, whom the Church sees as a dangerous revolutionary, being recalled to Spain. Her rule lasted 27 days--one cycle of the Moon.