The people of fourteenth-century Florence, Italy, starving after years of bad weather and natural disasters, now face the Black Plague but twelve-year-old Maria is determined to survive. Includes historical note, glossary, and discussion question.
Fifteen-year-old Giacomo, servant to Leonardo da Vinci, helps his procrastinating master finish painting, "The Last Supper," while also trying to find clues to his parentage and pursue his own career as an artist in late fifteenth-century Milan.
Having lost everything in a tidal wave in 1169 Sicily, nineteen-year-old Don Giovanni makes a simple-sounding wager with a stranger he recognizes as the devil but, while desperate enough to surrender his pride and good looks for three years, he is not willing to give up his soul.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze embarks on a quest to master the art of the Assassins in order to get revenge against the tyrants who betrayed his family and fight for freedom and justice for the people of Italy.
Deeply attached to the charming and carefree Francis Bernardone, Cecilia, a young noblewoman of Assisi, watches as he turns from his life of wealth and privilege, takes vows of poverty, and devotes himself to serving God by helping all those around him.
Having lost everything in a tidal wave in 1169 Sicily, nineteen-year-old Don Giovanni has only his pride and good looks. He makes a simple-sounding wager with the devil who offers him unlimited wealth as long as Giovanni does not bathe or change his clothes for over three years. Giovanni sacrifices his beauty and his pride while struggling desperately to win the wager and save his soul.
Fifteen-year-old Giacomo, servant to Leonardo da Vinci, helps his procrastinating master finish painting, "The Last Supper," while also trying to find clues to his parentage and pursue his own career as an artist in late fifteenth-century Milan.
Presents a political, economic, and social background of Italy during the Renaissance. Art and culture are highlighted, showing the Renaissance spreading north through Europe.
Provides a portrait of life in Renaissance Italy, from 1400 to 1550, featuring a timeline and overview of the period, and discussing women, art, celebrations, and many other topics.
