In the past, it was not uncommon for Venetian girls to grow up orphans or without a dowry, and prostitution was regrettably the only path available to many of them. To counter such a drastic state of affairs, there were centres where young girls and women were taken in and trained to learn specific jobs, so as to give them a much better chance of employment and a decent standard of living. One such centre was the Chiesa of the Zitelle, the church of the spinsters on the Giudecca. In time, an actual Scuola del merletto would develop here, which soon became famous for its astonishing lace products and lace-making techniques.
