A Renaissance Tale of Nobility, Scandal, and the Birth of the Conservatory
By Tugba YAZICI
Let’s start with a little drama, shall we? 🙂
Yes, the title takes inspiration from Turkish novelist Elif Şafak’s Bastard and Father , but my story heads in a completely different direction. This isn’t about the book or the author, but about a very real “Father and Bastard” tale whispered through palace corridors, beneath mosaicked church ceilings, and echoed in the lives of the people who shaped the art world as we know it.
THE BASTARDS OF THE MIDDLE AGES
And the Children the Nobility Tried to Hide
In medieval Europe; especially in France, Italy, England, and Venice, extramarital affairs were as common as candlelight. “Scandal” might well have been invented there. French courts, English kings, Italian princes, everyone was entangled in everyone else’s secrets. Sometimes these liaisons were carefully hidden; other times, they shaped entire power structures. Some husbands knew, others didn’t… who can say? ✋🏻
Just think of England’s notorious playboy king, Henry VIII. You’ve seen him in The Tudors or The Other Boleyn Girl: part monarch, part “Bluebeard.” If he tired of a woman, he simply had her beheaded—and yet, women still lined up for him. But let’s not lose the thread. ✋🏻
All those secret romances had consequences, unwanted (or very much wanted) pregnancies. Before long, Europe was brimming with thousands, tens of thousands of illegitimate children. Now imagine the dilemma for a noblewoman. How could she possibly explain to her husband that she’d borne another man’s child? And what about the baby?
The answer was pragmatic, if not merciful. These children were quietly given to foster families or handed over to the Church. (Naturally, with regular “donations” and discreet supervision.) Many churches became sanctuaries for hundreds of such children, who were raised and educated under the careful eye of priests, funded, of course, by their noble patrons.
FROM SECRET CHILDREN TO THE FIRST CONSERVATORIES
To understand what happened next, you need to know how noble inheritance worked. England was the strictest: the family title, estate, and fortune went entirely to the eldest son. Second sons and beyond were left to carve their own paths, often through trade. And that, in essence, is how the European bourgeoisie was born. But what of the bastards? Here’s where the story takes a remarkable turn. Whether through a mother’s guilt or a father’s hidden affection, many of these children received not only care but education. The Church, overwhelmed by their numbers, began to institutionalize the process. What began as charity evolved into something far greater, the birth of the conservatory.
The term comes from the French conservateur, meaning “to preserve” or “to protect.” These institutions “preserved” abandoned children by giving them structure, discipline, and most importantly , artistic training. Under the Church’s watch, these once-forgotten children studied music, painting, and language. Some went on to become the Renaissance’s brightest stars. Take Leonardo da Vinci, for example; the illegitimate son of a Florentine notary, whose genius helped define the very era that gave him rise. And he was far from alone. From painters to poets like Victor Hugo centuries later, the legacy of these conservatories rippled through Europe’s cultural rebirth. In Italy, during the Renaissance, the word conservatorio referred to orphanages attached to hospitals. These were places where abandoned children were housed, educated, and crucially taught music. Over time, these orphanages evolved into formal institutions dedicated solely to artistic education.
By the 17th and 18th centuries, conservatories had spread across Europe. The word itself found its way into many languages; German, French, English, Italian always carrying the same meaning: a place where art and music were studied, practiced, and preserved.
If you’ve ever read a Barbara Cartland novel, you’ve seen romanticized echoes of these stories: hidden heirs, forbidden loves, and children whose destinies defied convention. Through education, the most disadvantaged children of their time, born in secrecy and shame, helped redefine civilization.
(Editor’s Picks: watch The Tudors and The Other Boleyn Girl 👑)
CAN EDUCATION REWRITE DESTINY?
The Renaissance was more than an artistic movement, it was a social revolution. Through the Church’s intervention, children whom society had cast aside were given a place within the system. That small act of inclusion reshaped Europe’s future. Perhaps the “creative class” of today was born in those orphaned choirs of the 15th century. Think about it: if a modern society chooses to uplift its marginalized and forgotten children , with the right resources and opportunities… why couldn’t we witness another Renaissance?
Education, art, and culture are more than luxuries. They are instruments of transformation.
WATCH LIST 🎬
If this story piques your curiosity, add these films to your list:
- Casanova (2005)
- Marie Antoinette (2006)
- The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
“The way you come into this world does not have to define your destiny.”
When a society protects its children, art is reborn.
And who knows; perhaps with the right guidance, another Da Vinci is waiting to emerge. If you’re wondering where the inspiration for this piece came from since I began with Elif Şafak, let me end with her words:
“I’m not a treasure hidden in a locked chest, waiting to be discovered.
The answers you seek about me already lie within you.
I don’t want you to try to discover me—or believe that you have.
After all, we barely know ourselves.”
With love, curiosity, and reverence
Let’s continue to elevate life through art. 💫
Tuğba Yazıcı
Artist / A Curious Mind
Instagram: @tugbayaziciofficial
Facebook: Tuğba Yazici
