Josephine neé Grey Butler (1828–1906), a member of the English gentry class, first encountered misogyny at Oxford University, where she lived while her husband George completed his Doctor of Divinity degree. Following the tragic loss of their daughter, their doctor advised them to visit Harriet Meuricoffre, Josephine’s sister living in Naples. This sojourn initiated an extensive set of letters recording the sights and sounds of passage through the Alps, as well as the transformative healing power of the Italian landscape. Upon returning to Britain, Josephine resumed her social caring by beginning a nursing ministry among prostitutes at the Brownlow Workhouse in Liverpool. Ultimately, she became a prominent political actor in the sixteen-year campaign to end the Contagious Diseases Acts. In 1874, when the politics of London frustrated her hopes, Butler again found herself needing personal restoration, spending a year there writing a well-received biography of Catherine of Siena. During her stay, she learned about similar issues facing Italian women and started a European-wide crusade to end state-controlled prostitution and sex trafficking. Italy infused Butler’s speeches, publications, and political rallies to draw attention to the abuse of women, not only in Britain but also in Italy.