The DiMontaro Finishing Academy for young ladies sits in a small village outside Florence.<br/><br/>The story goes that it was originally a Dominican monastery, which had some uncomfortably deep cellars, occasionally used by the Holy office to keep prisoners. Well - keep and 're-educate'. It became a school when the French invaded under Napoleon, and stayed that way until it was taken over by the Blackshirts in the 1930's. Again, those cellars proved useful. After the war, the authorities tried to return the building to it's original use, but by then, there were too many rumours about what had happened there. Who can blame them? No one is going to want to go to 'Abu Garib High School'<br/><br/>(http://api.ning.com/files/DOlxtXUK4dlwkiYWlocLfuq4Xlq*mam9vKf*e0c3ROMTj35ZDcQusxYEOUNfXRbaFKpoONJi*iXDnwDOBKwXMLttKq0ZXb1mhf3tB1fdEDY_/School.jpg?width=721)<br/><br/>In 1950, with the village pretty much on it's knees, Ludovico DiMontaro returned to Florence from prison, where he had spent six years for supporting Mussolini. He  bought the near derelict building for a song, and with his sister, Donatta, he established a unique academy where young ladies can learn the skills which his family have practiced for the past generations. A confirmed sadist (with a special interest in young women) he was only too happy to pass on these skills. In the Cold War, NATO governments were only too happy to let him...<br/><br/>Ludovico is still at the school, although he is a venerated, doddering old man now. His grand children, Francesco and Livoria, have taken over much of the day to day running. Rumour has it that Francesco used to be an interrogator for the Mafia, who was hired out to both Italian SISMI (the Italian Secret Service) and the CIA, who ran covert black bag operations against communists in the late 1990's. He is still occasionally forced to take 'time off' from his teaching duties.<br/><br/>(http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/83/vlcsnap294120fk6.png)<br/><br/>Livoria has buried three rich husbands, at least two of whom seem to have died while indulging in bondage sex (and conveniently leaving her a fortune.) She is also quite happy to pass on her experience when it comes to finding a husband and (it has been rumoured) getting rid of them, too<br/><br/>(http://shechive.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/anne-hathaway-0.jpg?w=500&h=685)<br/><br/>There are a number of other staff at the school, all specialists in their own areas.<br/>