Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her prosperous merchant father brings a young painter back with him from Holland to adorn the walls of the new family chapel. She is fascinated by his talents and envious of his abilities and opportunities to paint to the glory of God. Soon her love of art and her lively independence are luring her into closer involvement with all sorts of taboo areas of life. On excursions into the streets of night-time Florence she observes a terrible evil stalking the city and witnesses the rise of ...
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Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her prosperous merchant father brings a young painter back with him from Holland to adorn the walls of the new family chapel. She is fascinated by his talents and envious of his abilities and opportunities to paint to the glory of God. Soon her love of art and her lively independence are luring her into closer involvement with all sorts of taboo areas of life. On excursions into the streets of night-time Florence she observes a terrible evil stalking the city and witnesses the rise of the fiery young priest, Savanarola, who has set out to rid the city of vice, richness, even art itself. Alessandra must make crucial decisions about the shape of her adult life, as Florence itself must choose between the old ways of the luxury-loving Medicis and the asceticism of Savanorola. And through it all, there is the painter, whose love will change everything.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner. Missing jacket. The dust jacket of the book is missing.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Haven't finished reading yet, but all as I expected
Suzanne
Jun 30, 2007
What an opening line!
I can?t say I felt bowled over by this book, but I had a hard time putting it down. Like the young heroine, Alessandra Cecchi, I have little patience for the severely restricted world that women were allowed to experience in Florence in the late 1400?s. Born into the glory days of the Renaissance, as well as monk Savonarola?s holier-than-thou, violent reign of terror, Alessandra?s experiences are defined more than anything by her belief in god. She aspires to be a painter, but never is allowed to train with anyone since she?s a woman. This is all the more reason why she?s drawn to the artist her father brings to their palazzo from the north to paint their family chapel. Alessandra agrees to marry an older man in the hope of finding more freedom for herself, but alas, like so many women, she finds married life is not what she thought it would be! She?s a good example of how people do what they have to do, given the place and time they live in, and her clever slave Erila shows that some freedom and power can be found in unexpected places. Her husband Cristoforo, her mean-spirited brother Tomaso, and the artist her father hired all harbor big surprises for her. Worth reading.
snk5454
Apr 3, 2007
Art, love, politics
Fascinating story set in 16th century Florence that paints a vivid picture of life in that time and place as seen through the eyes of a privileged young woman. I highly recommend it.
