▁ast ray ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁sudden ▁death ▁of ▁her ▁parents ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁her ▁family ▁during ▁a ▁pl ague ▁ep ide mic , ▁apart ▁from ▁her ▁younger ▁sister , ▁Maria , ▁who ▁did ▁enter ▁a ▁convent ▁and ▁rose ▁to ▁high ▁cler ical ▁rank ▁within ▁her ▁chosen ▁Car mel ite ▁order . ▁ ▁As ▁for ▁Cec ilia , ▁she ▁was ▁placed ▁under ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁spiritual ▁advis ors ▁and ▁conf ess ors , ▁but ▁her ▁independent ▁wealth ▁enabled ▁her ▁to ▁for ge ▁a ▁relatively ▁independent ▁life ▁for ▁herself ▁within ▁the ▁constraints ▁of ▁C ounter - Re formation ▁religious ▁and ▁social ▁order . ▁In ▁ 1 6 4 8 , ▁she ▁became ▁gover ness ▁to ▁the ▁mother less ▁children ▁of ▁Paolo ▁Lion , ▁a ▁Ven et ian ▁noble , ▁and ▁used ▁her ▁contacts ▁within ▁high ▁society ▁to ▁open ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁women ' s ▁houses ▁of ▁refuge e ▁for ▁women ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁avoid ▁either ▁marriage ▁or ▁prost itution , ▁usually ▁the ▁only ▁voc ation ▁available ▁for ▁C ounter - Re formation ▁Italian ▁women ▁outside ▁holy ▁orders . ▁ ▁In quisition ▁ ▁While ▁her ▁cler ical ▁associ ates ▁la ud ed ▁her ▁p iety , ▁her ▁sec ular ▁charges ▁were ▁not ▁as ▁im pressed , ▁and ▁many ▁compla ined ▁about ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁lack ▁of ▁ade qu ate ▁housing , ▁constant ▁pover ty , ▁ab us ive ▁pun ishment ▁and ▁Fer raz zi ' s ▁own ▁author itar ian ism . ▁What ▁concerned ▁the ▁In quisition ▁more ▁when ▁they ▁respond ed ▁to ▁these ▁compla ints