ve possessed considerable talent due to the difficulty of the music Vivaldi wrote for them (Vivaldi Homepage1). The same year he began at Ospedale, Vivaldi ceased to say mass, claiming that his bad health prevented him from doing so (Antonio Vivaldi). While it is certain he suffered from asthma throughout his life, it is uncertain to what extent, if any, he exaggerated his health.
             The Ospedale's all-female orchestra soon outgrew the churches. Not only was Vivaldi's fame escalating but some of his pupils made names for themselves. Because of this, many of Venice's elite began to send their daughters to the school to study music. The girls performed in groups of up to forty players and preformed every weekend and on holidays (Vivaldi Homepage). This institution was on of the four famous Venetian music schools which rivaled on another in various concerts appealing to many European enthusiasts who traveled to come and listen (Vivaldi, Antonio, 407). It was during Vivaldi's time at the school that the Ospedale reached the height of its fame(Blom, 26). While he stayed at the Ospedale for almost his whole life, there were various periods where he left, either traveling or simply voted out of the house by it's owners.
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