By the middle of the 16th century, dowries in Italy were so expensive that most respectable families could not afford to marry off more than one or two daughters. The rest became nuns, entering convents at puberty and never leaving. Not surprisingly not all of them went willingly. But along with stories of enforced incarceration and horror, there was also unexpected space for creativity. As well, there was the possibility of another kind of fulfilment – and power – that of ecstatic union with the spiritual husband, Jesus Christ.