The Shadow Of The Bell Tower
Описание книги
Year 2017: the young scholar Lucia Balleani, arranging and classifying the texts of the library of the Hoenstaufen Foundation, starts working in the old palace that had been the residence of the noble Baldeschi-Balleani family, of which she is a direct descendant. A series of visions linked to what happened to Lucia Baldeschi, of the same name, will lead the reader to discover with her an interesting story that took place in the same place 500 years before. During the Renaissance Jesi is rich in art and culture and where new and sumptuous palaces are built on the ruins of the ancient Roman city, lives a young countess, Lucia Baldeschi. The girl is the granddaughter of an evil Cardinal, weaver of obscure plots aimed at centralizing both temporal and ecclesiastical power in his own hands. Lucia, a person with a strong intelligence, becomes friend with a printer, Bernardino, with whom she share the passion for the rebirth of the arts, sciences and culture, which are characterizing the period throughout Italy. She will find herself caught between the duty to obey her uncle, who made her grow up and educate her in the palace in the absence of her parents, and the passionate love for Andrea Franciolini, son of the People's Capitan and designated victim of the Cardinal's tyranny. The story is also told through the eyes of Lucia Balleani, a young scholar descendent of the noble family. In 2017, exactly 500 years after the events, she discovered ancient documents in the family palace, and reconstructed the complex history of which traces had been lost.
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To Giuseppe Luconi and Mario Pasquinelli,
illustrious citizens who are
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Immersed in her thoughts, she crossed the long corridor that led her back to the wing of the building where she lived. At the end of the corridor she went down the stairs, finding herself on the ground floor, in the hallway at the entrance door. She would have had to climb up the stairs in front of her to reach her apartments. To her right, through a wooden door, there was the access to the stables. Morocco, her favourite stallion, sensed her presence and whimpered to greet the girl, who was tempted to push the door just enough to sneak in and give a caress to the black steed. But her attention was drawn to another small wooden door, which led to the basement of the palace. Usually that door was barred, but that day it was strangely ajar. Grandmother had warned her more than once not to venture into the basement. Down there was a labyrinth, in which it was easy to get lost, represented by the streets and rooms of the ancient Roman buildings. In fact, all the more recent buildings laid their foundations on the ancient Roman constructions. Lucia’s curiosity was too strong. She thought that if those ravines, that were now tunnels, galleries and cellars, had once been inhabited, the spirits of the ancient inhabitants could talk to her, tell her stories, confide their fears and feelings. Basically, Palazzo Baldeschi stood at what was the acropolis, the forum, the commercial and political centre of the city in Roman times. There were the temples, Baths, a little further away, where now stood the brand new Government Palace, there was a huge amphitheatre; closer, near the western walls of the city, the large cistern for water supply.
It’ll be dark soon down there, thought Lucia. I’ll need a light source.
.....