Many are the perks of living in Turin and many are the brands founded here and famous all over the world. Turin also holds many records as well as many interesting people who changed Italy and the world.
If you subscribe to Netflix, after Astrological Guide For Broken Hearts, you can now enjoy season 2 of another series set and filmed in Turin - a real love letter to the city: The Law of Lidia Poët about the very first lady lawyer of Europe!
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| Season 1 |
Who was Lidia Poët and why is she so influential in Italian law?
She was such a fascinating figure that watching season 1, many people even wondered if she was actually a real person or just a fictional character. And well, yes, she did exist and was very much ahead of her times too.
Lidia Poët was originally from a mountain village in Val Germanasca, located in Western Piedmont, about 90minutes driving from Turin. She was born to a Waldesian family, the same Protestant community Mr Olivetti's mom belonged to.
Practically, this means that she came from an educated and wealthy milieu and she got exposed to the new ideas and equality ideals that circulated in her community. By comparison, back then, 84% of Italian women and 74% of Italian men were full illiterate.
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| the real Lidia Poët |
Her father was the mayor of her native little town and her mom was a landowner. Educated in an exclusive private school in Switzerland, Lidia graduated as an elementary school teacher and as a foreign language teacher of English, French and German.
As she was given the same opportunity her brothers had, upon her return home, she enrolled in an Italian high school that would allow her to enroll and attend the university. Already in high school she might have been the only girl in her class or one of the very few...
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| Villa della Regina in Turin where many scenes of season 2 are filmed |
The Medicine School of Turin first captivated her interest - and as portrayed by Netflix, her curiosity for medicine and science never really faded, on the other hand, it helped her during her career.
However, she dropped out from the Medicine School and attended the Law School of the Turin University, where she graduated in 1881 with a dissertation about the condition of women in society and the voting rights for women. She was 1 of 4 women, the only 1 in the Law School - who had attended 4 years of courses with only men.
After her two year training with a renowned lawyer near her native valley, she passed the bar exam with 45/50 and entered the Bar Association.
This is how she started her career and why in season 1 she introduces herself and is often introduced as an "attorney".
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| the real Lidia Poët |
Unfortunately, her professional title was revoked due to the fact that she was a woman and unmarried because this meant that she was fully free because no husband had to agree and approve her decisions.
As we can see in the TV series, to continue working as an attorney, Lidia had to collaborate with her brother who, being a man, could represent her clients and sign all the legal documents.
In the meantime, she was also an activist for the women rights and women voting rights, for the poors, the children and the reintegration of ex-convicts in society, basically all still very current topics and quite unusual for a late 1800s wealthy lady.
The TV series shows a bit of this to explain why she took some clients who otherwise would have never been able to afford a lawyer or being believed.
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| Season 1, where Lidia says good-bye to her boyfriend |
She took part in the Secretariat of the International Penitentiary Congress, to the International Council of Women, the French Government named her Offcier d'Accadémie, during WWI her participation in the Italian Red Cross as a volunteer nurse got her the silver medal. She was also part of the welcoming committee for the refugees in her native area. Her participation in an embroidery school in Turin gave her the idea for the rehabilitation and education programs of convicted women.
Lidia never gave up her mission, dreams and ideals, when her brother retired she collaborated with other lawyers who supported her professionally and finally, in 1920, when she was 65 she could re-enter the Turin Bar Association.
Only in 1919 women in Italy were allowed to have a professional title and a career like men and Lidia was the very first Italian lawyer!
Because Italian women couldn't vote till 1947, starting in 1922 she was the president of the Committee for Women's Voting Rights in Turin.
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| Lidia's house in season 2 |
Lidia Poët had a long and full life, she died in 1949, at age 94 and only in 2020, the Bar Association of Turin managed to commemorate Lidia and her victories with a memorial stone located in the playground by the Courthouse of Turin.
Just like what has happened in many other professions, today the Bar Association of Turin counts more women lawyers than men and a copy of the original 1883 deliberation of Lidia's registration as a lawyer is exhibited in the Bar Association head office to remind everyone about the values of universal rights that first granted Lidia her professional title and started her career.
Watching The Law of Lidia Poët makes for great preparation for your trip over to Turin, as well as a very rewarding viewing once you are back home because you can recognize many places.
We are now offering a tour of the Lidia Poët's Turin locations where you'll be walking in her steps live as if you too were in this Netflix series.
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| Season 2 episode 2 |
Come join us walking on Lidia Poët's footsteps and experience Turin with her spirit!
Email Lucia: turinepi@gmail.com
In Turin you are the star of the movie of your life, come live it with us, amici!