ban ian ▁communities ▁in ▁North ▁Mac ed onia <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Hon est ▁Cour tes an ▁is ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁bi ographical ▁book ▁by ▁Margaret ▁Ros ent hal ▁about ▁a ▁ 1 6 th - century ▁Ven et ian ▁cour tes an ▁named ▁Ver onica ▁Franco . ▁ ▁Description ▁The ▁Ven et ian ▁cour tes an ▁has ▁long ▁captured ▁the ▁imagination ▁as ▁a ▁female ▁symbol ▁of ▁sexual ▁license , ▁eleg ance , ▁beauty ▁and ▁un r ul iness . ▁What ▁then ▁to ▁make ▁of ▁the ▁cort ig iana ▁on esta ▁- ▁the ▁honest ▁cour tes an ▁who ▁rec ast ▁virtue ▁as ▁intellectual ▁integrity ▁and ▁offered ▁wit ▁and ▁ref in ement ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁patron age ▁and ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁public ▁life ? ▁Ver onica ▁Franco ▁( 1 5 4 6 - 1 5 9 1 ) ▁was ▁such ▁a ▁woman , ▁a ▁writer ▁and ▁citiz en ▁of ▁Ven ice , ▁whose ▁published ▁po ems ▁and ▁familiar ▁letters ▁offer ▁rich ▁testim ony ▁to ▁the ▁complexity ▁of ▁the ▁honest ▁cour tes an ' s ▁position . ▁ ▁Ada pt ation ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁film ▁D anger ous ▁Beaut y ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁this ▁book . ▁The ▁movie ▁star red ▁Catherine ▁McC orm ack ▁as ▁Ver onica ▁Franco ▁and ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁Marshall ▁H ers kov itz . ▁The ▁film , ▁also ▁released ▁as ▁A ▁Dest iny ▁of ▁Her ▁O wn ▁in ▁some ▁regions , ▁ ▁was ▁re - t itled ▁The ▁Hon est ▁Cour tes an ▁for