The Botticelli Secret
A Novel of Renaissance Italy
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4.1 • 47 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In this exhilarating cross between The Da Vinci Code and The Birth of Venus, an irrepressible young woman in 15th-century Italy must flee for her life after stumbling upon a deadly secret when she serves as a model for Botticelli...
When part-time model and full-time prostitute Luciana Vetra is asked by one of her most exalted clients to pose for a painter friend, she doesn't mind serving as the model for the central figure of Flora in Sandro Botticelli's masterpiece "Primavera." But when the artist dismisses her without payment, Luciana impulsively steals an unfinished version of the painting--only to find that somone is ready to kill her to get it back.
What could possibly be so valuable about the picture? As friends and clients are slaughtered around her, Luciana turns to the one man who has never desired her beauty, novice librarian Brother Guido. Fleeing Venice together, Luciana and Guido race through the nine cities of Renaissance Italy, pursued by ruthless foes who are determined to keep them from decoding the painting's secrets.
Gloriously fresh and vivid, with a deliciously irreverent heroine, The Botticelli Secret is an irresistible blend of history, wit, and suspense.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The city-states of Renaissance Italy serve as the vibrant backdrop for this less than successful homage to The Da Vinci Code from Fiorato (TheGlassblower of Murano). In 1482 Florence, while prostitute Luciana Vetra is posing for Botticelli s Primavera, she makes a casual comment that terrifies the artist. Sent away unpaid, Luciana steals a miniature of the painting in revenge. When she discovers that an assassin is on her trail, she flees Florence with the most trustworthy companion she can find, handsome and cultured monk Brother Guido della Torre. As the two decode the secrets hidden in the painting (and fall in love), its meanings send them on a quest through Italy to save their own lives and avert a conspiracy involving the greatest powers of the day. Luciana s energetic narrative voice keeps the pages turning, but lengthy passages deconstructing La Primavera yield secrets, unlike those in Dan Brown s bestseller, with little resonance for modern readers.
Customer Reviews
Magnificent book!
I originally come from Europe, I know nothing of my ancestors, but as many of us feel and will agree with me, somehow Italy and everything what this place entails, keeps pulling us "in". It would be nice to think (know) that I do come from Venice myself, since I consider that incredible city to be the most beautiful place on the planet. After my visit to Venice, I have started reading a little on this city and its history (I must add, at that time I read only one book in English and it was the one I had to read in order to get my drivers license). So for me to reach for a book with 50+ pages... Well, let me put it this way, it was a miracle all by itself. And guess what, I read the whole book, I was not even lazy to look up words I didn't understand, and I finished it in 3 days! That can tell you a lot. This book was the fifth one by Marina Fiorato, and every time I read one of her books, I easily slip into the ancient romantic but rough times and places, described with such brilliance, and I keep on dreaming long after I close the book. It almost feels as if she is able to put in writing feelings of my own.
I loved this story in particular, because it has included yet another significant part of my life. This era of magnificent genius artists has been finally put into a beautiful story, not just into a book of facts. It might be just fiction, yet it is so much more relatable and interesting that it does actually intrigue one to read more upon those artists and try understanding our past.
So, thank you, Mrs. Fiorato, you have become my idol and I sincerely wish you never retire from writing these excellent novels.
This was...
Absolutely amazing.