The Charterhouse of Parma · Character

Clelia Conti

A devout young woman bound by a sacred vow never to see the man she loves, caught between piety and an unbearable desire.

major

Also known as little Clelia, Clelia, Signorina, young Clelia Conti, Signorina Clelia Conti

First appearance: iv

As a major figure in The Charterhouse of Parma, Clelia Conti is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Vows never to see Fabrizio again after the death of their son Sandrino, leading to Fabrizio's retreat.

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Clelia Conti, daughter of the citadel's commander, moves through Parma's rigid society with a modesty that makes her almost invisible, yet her inner life is a battlefield. She has sworn to the Madonna never to look upon Fabrizio again, and the vow costs her years of youth and peace; when she finally breaks it, she does so trembling, convinced she is damning herself. Her struggle between religious duty and love gives the novel its most tender and agonizing thread, and her choices shape Fabrizio's fate as much as any political intrigue.

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Character Web

30 connections

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Relationship types

Romantic
Other

Character groups

Central Court and Family
Minor Court and Family Figures
Protagonist
Moral and Spiritual Guides

+25 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of the Duchessa's de…

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Relationships

Fabrizio del Dongo
romantic · positive
Deeply in love, their relationship is marked by intense passion, secret meetings, and… How this plays out →
Duchessa Sanseverina
rivalry · negative
Fabrizio del Dongo
romantic · positive
Deeply in love, their relationship is marked by intense passion, secret meetings, and… How this plays out →
Fabrizio del Dongo
romantic · positive
Deeply in love, their relationship is marked by intense passion, secret meetings, and… How this plays out →
Duchessa Sanseverina
rivalry · negative
Duchessa Sanseverina
rivalry · negative

Fabrizio del Dongo
Deeply in love, their relationship is marked by intense passion, secret meetings, and tragic obstacles.
Duchessa Sanseverina
A tense rivalry born from Clelia's love for Fabrizio and the Duchessa's possessive, manipulative interference.
Fabrizio del Dongo
Deeply in love, their relationship is marked by intense passion, secret meetings, and tragic obstacles.
Fabrizio del Dongo
Deeply in love, their relationship is marked by intense passion, secret meetings, and tragic obstacles.
Duchessa Sanseverina
A tense rivalry born from Clelia's love for Fabrizio and the Duchessa's possessive, manipulative interference.
Duchessa Sanseverina
A tense rivalry born from Clelia's love for Fabrizio and the Duchessa's possessive, manipulative interference.

Relationship notes

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See Clelia Conti in iv

In the story

Clelia Conti appears across 14 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Charterhouse of Parma
Vows never to see Fabrizio again after the death of their son Sandrino, leading to Fabrizio's retreat.
Chapter XV
Governor's daughter; feels profound guilt for not responding to Fabrizio's greeting and is deeply moved by his plight.
XVI
Mentioned as having spoken with the Duchessa the previous evening; her youth contrasts with the Duchessa's despair.
Chapter XVIII
Tends to her birds in the aviary, deeply troubled by her pity for the Duchessa and her conflicting feelings for Fabrizio, whom she secretly watches.
Chapter XIX
Torn by jealousy and fear, she struggles with her love for Fabrizio and her father's pressure to marry the Marchese Crescenzi.
Chapter XX
Torn between duty and love, she helps Fabrizio by arranging communication with the Duchessa and struggles with the moral implications of her actions.
Chapter XXI
Assists the Duchessa by delivering cords and signaling Fabrizio, despite her fear and vow.
XXII
Tormented by remorse for betraying her father, she agrees to marry Marchese Crescenzi if ordered, and discovers Fabrizio's love notes in books.
Chapter XXIII
Mentioned as the object of Fabrizio's love and the Duchessa's jealousy; her marriage to Marchese Crescenzi is being hastened by the Duchessa.
XXIV
About to marry Marchese Crescenzi; Fabrizio returns to the citadel to be near her.
XXV
Despairing over her vow to the Madonna and her love for Fabrizio; she faints upon seeing him and later flees, reaffirming her vow never to see him again.
XXVI
Bound by a vow to the Madonna, she rejects Fabrizio but agrees to listen; later marries the Marchese Crescenzi.
Chapter XXVII
Now the Marchesa Crescenzi, she is consumed by remorse and avoids Fabrizio, refusing his letters and staying confined to her palazzo. She resists his floral overtures.
Chapter XXVIII
The Marchesa Crescenzi, bound by a vow to only meet Fabrizio in darkness, is torn between her love for him and her religious guilt, and is devastated by the plan to fake Sandrino's illness.

Chapter companion notes

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See Clelia Conti in iv

See Clelia Conti in The Charterhouse of Parma