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Il tempio della luce
Milano, 1447. La città vista dall’alto è un tessuto dai colori vivaci punteggiato di torri e campanili, su cui domina la cattedrale di Santa Maria Nascente. È ancora un cantiere in fermento, il duomo di Milano, ma è progettato per diventare il più maestoso d’Europa. E proprio tra le sue mura si nasconde un segreto che potrebbe cambiare per sempre la storia della città. Filippo Maria Visconti, il signore di Milano, è morto lasciando il Ducato senza eredi – e facile preda delle ambizioni di Francesco Sforza – ma tra le navate della cattedrale e all’oscuro di tutti i pretendenti alla successione vive un ragazzo che ha nelle vene il suo stesso sangue. E che un giorno potrebbe rivendicare il potere per la razza viscontea. È Niccolò, educato come un figlio dal canonico Onorio, che cresce tra i pilastri e sulle guglie del duomo; qui ha scoperto la passione per la scultura e ha incontrato la bella Angelica. Ma ora è giunto per lui il tempo di conoscere il proprio destino. Perché sotto le fondamenta del duomo si riunisce un’antica Confraternita che agisce in segreto per realizzare la Grande Opera: ricongiungere finalmente l’uomo a Dio. Chiamato da Onorio a farne parte, tra misteriosi rituali alchemici e intrighi di corte, Niccolò dovrà scegliere se percorrere la strada della Luce o quella delle Tenebre. Con Il Tempio della Luce Daniela Piazza mette in scena l’anima più oscura di Milano e con un grandioso affresco ce ne racconta la storia più affascinante e nascosta. Quella che nessuno finora ha mai scritto.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
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July 26, 2015DNF at 58%.
This tale of Renaissance Milan starts out promising to be quite entertaining... but as it goes on, I found that promise deteriorating.
The first scene is a brutal rape and assault by a lord on two peasants. At my stopping point, I'm not sure if the narrative will ever get around to having the incident be relevant to the plot, or if it was just atmosphere-setting. (This is, indeed, one of those books where all female characters are whores, rape victims, or both, so if that bothers you...)
The main plot follows the boy Niccolo, the secret heir to the Duchy of Milan, who is raised by an order of Italian priests who are secretly actually Druid-Alchemists (yes, it's a bit silly). Niccolo would rather live a modest life as a stonecutter than be a Duke, but he is willing to accept his responsibilities, should it be necessary.
The writing style alternates between a meandering narrative interspersed with violent and titillating incidents, and dry infodumps about a dizzying array of names and facts about the complex politics of Milan and random technical details about architecture or what have you. There are also a few 'flashback' scenes to the ancient Celtic beginnings of the Druid cult, which feel very out of place in the narrative. The end result is a choppy-feeling but tedious flow to the book.
At 58%, I'm not feeling interested enough in what might happen in Niccolo's life to continue. There are many interesting and entertaining books about this time period in Milan's history... one I could recommend is Michael Ennis' 'Duchess of Milan.' https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
This tale of Renaissance Milan starts out promising to be quite entertaining... but as it goes on, I found that promise deteriorating.
The first scene is a brutal rape and assault by a lord on two peasants. At my stopping point, I'm not sure if the narrative will ever get around to having the incident be relevant to the plot, or if it was just atmosphere-setting. (This is, indeed, one of those books where all female characters are whores, rape victims, or both, so if that bothers you...)
The main plot follows the boy Niccolo, the secret heir to the Duchy of Milan, who is raised by an order of Italian priests who are secretly actually Druid-Alchemists (yes, it's a bit silly). Niccolo would rather live a modest life as a stonecutter than be a Duke, but he is willing to accept his responsibilities, should it be necessary.
The writing style alternates between a meandering narrative interspersed with violent and titillating incidents, and dry infodumps about a dizzying array of names and facts about the complex politics of Milan and random technical details about architecture or what have you. There are also a few 'flashback' scenes to the ancient Celtic beginnings of the Druid cult, which feel very out of place in the narrative. The end result is a choppy-feeling but tedious flow to the book.
At 58%, I'm not feeling interested enough in what might happen in Niccolo's life to continue. There are many interesting and entertaining books about this time period in Milan's history... one I could recommend is Michael Ennis' 'Duchess of Milan.' https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
March 12, 2015
The main reason I feel comfortable giving this book a three star rating (on Amazon.com) is because it could have a special appeal for readers interested in Italian history, specifically the history of the city-state of Milan in the 1400's and also readers particularly interested in early Catholic church history. Otherwise this would definitely earn two stars from me.
The novel centers on a changing group of Druid priests who work through the centuries to bring The Temple of Light into existence in order to worship the goddess Belisama (Celtic times), then Minerva (Roman era), and finally to the Virgin Mary (Christian era). All this time the Druids have studied and worked in secret to build the perfect altar on which to place their religious relics so the goddess would be pleased and bring about the apocalypse. The current group of Druids are also Catholic priests and are using the many times destroyed and rebuilt cathedral in Milan to accomplish this feat. Their mathematical computations and alchemy experiments will provide the answers for exactly how tall they need to build the spire and where to place the stone of light.
I'm sorry to say I did not find this a very interesting or enjoyable book to read. The author's style of writing was very dry, stiff and formal and it kept me from feeling any personal attachment or connection with the characters. I'm sure she had done a great deal of research into this subject matter because she included so very much of it in the novel. Nothing slows down a plot more than having too much factual material included in the body of the work. Even though Nicolo was a character who appeared through almost the entire book, I really never cared what happened to him. Incidents of rape and torture were so mechanically included they only caused me to want to get through reading them. Unfortunately, this is not a book I would personally recommend.
The novel centers on a changing group of Druid priests who work through the centuries to bring The Temple of Light into existence in order to worship the goddess Belisama (Celtic times), then Minerva (Roman era), and finally to the Virgin Mary (Christian era). All this time the Druids have studied and worked in secret to build the perfect altar on which to place their religious relics so the goddess would be pleased and bring about the apocalypse. The current group of Druids are also Catholic priests and are using the many times destroyed and rebuilt cathedral in Milan to accomplish this feat. Their mathematical computations and alchemy experiments will provide the answers for exactly how tall they need to build the spire and where to place the stone of light.
I'm sorry to say I did not find this a very interesting or enjoyable book to read. The author's style of writing was very dry, stiff and formal and it kept me from feeling any personal attachment or connection with the characters. I'm sure she had done a great deal of research into this subject matter because she included so very much of it in the novel. Nothing slows down a plot more than having too much factual material included in the body of the work. Even though Nicolo was a character who appeared through almost the entire book, I really never cared what happened to him. Incidents of rape and torture were so mechanically included they only caused me to want to get through reading them. Unfortunately, this is not a book I would personally recommend.
March 18, 2015
Good Historical Background on Renaissance Italy, But too Long
The Visconti ruled Milan for generations. Now the last Visconti duke is dying without a legitimate heir. The Sforza, another noble family related to the Visconti, are waiting to be invited to rule the city. The city fathers don't like it, but the other choice is annihilation when Sforza attacks the city.
The old duke, however, is not childless. He has a son, Niccolo, by a noble woman. The child is only a baby and the duke fears that his enemies will have the child killed, so he entrusts the boy to Archdeacon Onorio. Unbeknownst to the duke, Onorio is a secret Druid. The Druids made their home in Milan many years before. They worship their goddess, Bellsama, who later evolves into the Virgin Mary, in a temple constructed near the foundation of the cathedral that is being constructed.
Niccolo grows up wanting to be a sculpture, and succeeds in becoming an artist. His closest friend is Lorenzo, a young commoner, who is a paid killer for the Sforza. Lorenzo's sister Maria becomes the mistress of an aristocrat, but is then abandoned. Niccolo falls in love with Angelica, but it is another doomed relationship because she, too, is a commoner, and he is a noble. The lives of these characters growing up form the basis of the story.
I enjoyed the amount of historical detail in the book. I hadn't realized that the Druids had so much influence in Italy. The descriptions of their rites and their study of alchemy and magic are fascinating, but this much detail detracts from the plot. The story moves back and forth in time, which also tends to be confusing.
I recommend this book if you enjoy historical novels and have an interest in renaissance Italy. If you like lots of detail you'll enjoy this book, but if you're looking for a briskly moving plot, you'll be disappointed.
I reviewed this book for Net Galley.
The Visconti ruled Milan for generations. Now the last Visconti duke is dying without a legitimate heir. The Sforza, another noble family related to the Visconti, are waiting to be invited to rule the city. The city fathers don't like it, but the other choice is annihilation when Sforza attacks the city.
The old duke, however, is not childless. He has a son, Niccolo, by a noble woman. The child is only a baby and the duke fears that his enemies will have the child killed, so he entrusts the boy to Archdeacon Onorio. Unbeknownst to the duke, Onorio is a secret Druid. The Druids made their home in Milan many years before. They worship their goddess, Bellsama, who later evolves into the Virgin Mary, in a temple constructed near the foundation of the cathedral that is being constructed.
Niccolo grows up wanting to be a sculpture, and succeeds in becoming an artist. His closest friend is Lorenzo, a young commoner, who is a paid killer for the Sforza. Lorenzo's sister Maria becomes the mistress of an aristocrat, but is then abandoned. Niccolo falls in love with Angelica, but it is another doomed relationship because she, too, is a commoner, and he is a noble. The lives of these characters growing up form the basis of the story.
I enjoyed the amount of historical detail in the book. I hadn't realized that the Druids had so much influence in Italy. The descriptions of their rites and their study of alchemy and magic are fascinating, but this much detail detracts from the plot. The story moves back and forth in time, which also tends to be confusing.
I recommend this book if you enjoy historical novels and have an interest in renaissance Italy. If you like lots of detail you'll enjoy this book, but if you're looking for a briskly moving plot, you'll be disappointed.
I reviewed this book for Net Galley.
May 30, 2022
Uno dei peggiori libri che abbia mai letto. Trama e storia sono interessanti nella loro sinossi tuttavia al progetto manca una struttura narrativa seria. Non ci sono colpi di scena, tutto è così lineare e scontato e per carità può essere una scelta stilistica (non troppo rara negli storici) che tuttavia va accompagnata ad una abilità nello scrivere che renda la lettura dell'opera fluente ed interessante nonchè suggestiva...inutile dirlo la forma risulta carente, a tratti questo sembra un libro scolastico. Penso che la colpa di questo disastro sia da imputare all'editore che ha permesso la stampa di questo progetto: il libro con un grande sforzo e lavoro prima di scalpello e poi di lima a mio parere sarebbe davvero ottimo e potenzialmente un gioiellino. Se apprezzate questo genere vi suggerisco "Pilastri della Terra" e "Mondo senza fine" di Ken Follet opere per certi versi simili ma decisamente più interessanti.
July 15, 2015
Received a copy from netgalley.
Slow to start and continued to read slowly as well.
I've read books about building cathedrals. It was the setting here, that got a lot of pages of detail.
I never really felt like I "knew" the characters. I knew what they were doing but I didn't know what they were feeling, thinking, etc. They felt flat to me. Perhaps I just couldn't relate to them.
I struggled with priests and archbishops also being druids. Maybe if the characters told more of why, it would have been more believable.
Slow to start and continued to read slowly as well.
I've read books about building cathedrals. It was the setting here, that got a lot of pages of detail.
I never really felt like I "knew" the characters. I knew what they were doing but I didn't know what they were feeling, thinking, etc. They felt flat to me. Perhaps I just couldn't relate to them.
I struggled with priests and archbishops also being druids. Maybe if the characters told more of why, it would have been more believable.
August 29, 2024
Confesso che sono rimasto un poco spiazzato da gran parte dei giudizi che hanno etichettato -negativamente - questo libro come "I Pilastri Della Terra ambientato a Milano". Tratto comune l'edificazione della cattedrale (immaginaria nel caso di Ken Follett, il Duomo in questo caso) ma per il resto (la trama e il flusso di eventi) non sono in nulla paragonabili. Se si volesse usare questo parametro allora il buon vecchio thriller verrebbe affossato per la comune presenza di un cadavere.
Questo detto torniamo al libro senza anticipare nulla dei punti chiave (se sento l'abominevole neo-anglicismo "spoilerare" ti blocco ipso facto). Ci troviamo nella fase di transizione tra i Visconti e gli Sforza, circa 80 anni dopo l'inizio dei lavori volti a sostituire le preesistenti cattedrali. Il morente duca Filippo Maria Visconti rivela a suoi consiglieri la presenza di un infante, suo figlio illegittimo, da proteggere (aveva avuto solo una femmina andata in sposa a Francesco Sforza). Il pargolo viene allevato in incognito da un clerico della cattedrale, che è parte di una sorta di setta "illuminata" celtico-cristiana le cui origini risalgono ai tempi precedenti la conquista romana di Medhelan ("santuario" in celtico) futura Mediolanum. Setta adorante una divinità femminile poi associata a Maria. Da qui il loro desiderio di costruire una cattedrale dedicata alla Madonna e di adempiere anche a riforme nella forma di governo.
Abbiamo quindi due piani narrativi, uno primario ambientato sotto gli Sforza e capitoli secondari non essenziali che spiegano gli antefatti.
Come in tutti i romanzi storici la differenza (e il grosso lavoro di preparazione) è nella accuratezza della ricostruzione storica (molto dettagliata e riuscita) a cui va aggiunto il notevole lavoro documentale sulla parte architettonica. Buona la complementarietà tra la parte fatta di personaggi ed eventi storici con la parte romanzata.
La parte riguardante i riti alchemici non è del tutto riuscita per l'aggiunta di componenti improbabili come alcune pietre con strani poteri e grotte sotterranee termali.
Meglio sarebbe stato smussare la parte più fantasiosa e rimanere su vicende romanzate ma reali.
Il finale è (abbastanza) soddisfacente perché i fili lasciati penzolare fino alla fine vengono uniti e questo non è poco. Tolgo mezzo punto perché il finale rimane (non necessariamente ma potenzialmente) aperto ad un secondo capitolo.
Questo detto torniamo al libro senza anticipare nulla dei punti chiave (se sento l'abominevole neo-anglicismo "spoilerare" ti blocco ipso facto). Ci troviamo nella fase di transizione tra i Visconti e gli Sforza, circa 80 anni dopo l'inizio dei lavori volti a sostituire le preesistenti cattedrali. Il morente duca Filippo Maria Visconti rivela a suoi consiglieri la presenza di un infante, suo figlio illegittimo, da proteggere (aveva avuto solo una femmina andata in sposa a Francesco Sforza). Il pargolo viene allevato in incognito da un clerico della cattedrale, che è parte di una sorta di setta "illuminata" celtico-cristiana le cui origini risalgono ai tempi precedenti la conquista romana di Medhelan ("santuario" in celtico) futura Mediolanum. Setta adorante una divinità femminile poi associata a Maria. Da qui il loro desiderio di costruire una cattedrale dedicata alla Madonna e di adempiere anche a riforme nella forma di governo.
Abbiamo quindi due piani narrativi, uno primario ambientato sotto gli Sforza e capitoli secondari non essenziali che spiegano gli antefatti.
Come in tutti i romanzi storici la differenza (e il grosso lavoro di preparazione) è nella accuratezza della ricostruzione storica (molto dettagliata e riuscita) a cui va aggiunto il notevole lavoro documentale sulla parte architettonica. Buona la complementarietà tra la parte fatta di personaggi ed eventi storici con la parte romanzata.
La parte riguardante i riti alchemici non è del tutto riuscita per l'aggiunta di componenti improbabili come alcune pietre con strani poteri e grotte sotterranee termali.
Meglio sarebbe stato smussare la parte più fantasiosa e rimanere su vicende romanzate ma reali.
Il finale è (abbastanza) soddisfacente perché i fili lasciati penzolare fino alla fine vengono uniti e questo non è poco. Tolgo mezzo punto perché il finale rimane (non necessariamente ma potenzialmente) aperto ad un secondo capitolo.
June 30, 2015
Temple of Light by Daniela Piazza
It’s the middle of the fourteen hundreds and the Church is at the apogee of its power. The Duchy of Milan is ruled by Duke Filippo Maria Visconti, who is dying without a male heir. He calls the archdeacon Onorio to his deathbed for his last confession.
He has a one year old bastard that he wants Onorio to educate and protect. Niccolo should be trained to be a monk and only told of his heritage at a later date. He should only succeed his father if when he comes of age, Milan is under the thumb of a tyrant.
Niccolo grows up under the tutelage of Onorio and the monks and builders of the glorious new Cathedral being built. He becomes a learned many as well as a sculptor. He falls in love with the daughter of a baker and a mason; his best friend becomes a member of the current Duke’s personal guard.
But, there is a secret Brotherhood who are building the temple to fulfill an old Celtic prophecy related to the goddess Belisama (viewed now as the Virgin Mary). When Niccolo is near to his majority, he is initiated into the secrets of the Brotherhood.
To have money to continue building the Cathedral, they need the help of both the current Duke and the church in Rome. The current Duke lavishes money on himself and the Duchess (who is Niccolo’s half-sister), but has little for the cathedral. When he begins another costly war, the Brotherhood determines it’s time for Niccolo to declare himself and become Duke.
The story of the Niccolo, the Brotherhood and the City of Milan are what this book is about. If you liked Ken Follett’s “Pillars of Earth” this is your book. If not, try something else.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com zebsblog@gmail.com
It’s the middle of the fourteen hundreds and the Church is at the apogee of its power. The Duchy of Milan is ruled by Duke Filippo Maria Visconti, who is dying without a male heir. He calls the archdeacon Onorio to his deathbed for his last confession.
He has a one year old bastard that he wants Onorio to educate and protect. Niccolo should be trained to be a monk and only told of his heritage at a later date. He should only succeed his father if when he comes of age, Milan is under the thumb of a tyrant.
Niccolo grows up under the tutelage of Onorio and the monks and builders of the glorious new Cathedral being built. He becomes a learned many as well as a sculptor. He falls in love with the daughter of a baker and a mason; his best friend becomes a member of the current Duke’s personal guard.
But, there is a secret Brotherhood who are building the temple to fulfill an old Celtic prophecy related to the goddess Belisama (viewed now as the Virgin Mary). When Niccolo is near to his majority, he is initiated into the secrets of the Brotherhood.
To have money to continue building the Cathedral, they need the help of both the current Duke and the church in Rome. The current Duke lavishes money on himself and the Duchess (who is Niccolo’s half-sister), but has little for the cathedral. When he begins another costly war, the Brotherhood determines it’s time for Niccolo to declare himself and become Duke.
The story of the Niccolo, the Brotherhood and the City of Milan are what this book is about. If you liked Ken Follett’s “Pillars of Earth” this is your book. If not, try something else.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com zebsblog@gmail.com
March 18, 2015
Interesting to read about Milan, but hard to read about the people
This book takes place in Milan, Italy in the 1400's. If you're not familiar with Italian words, be prepared to learn a lot of new ones (from people's names and the names of places). It takes place over the course of thirty or so years. You read about all of the details the brotherhood needed to put their plan in action and can follow the progress of the cathedral being built to their specifications.
I thought the story would focus more on Niccolo and maybe the members of the secret brotherhood. But a lot of time was spent talking about other supporting characters, almost to the point where I didn't feel Niccolo was a main character at all. It just seemed that the back of the book didn't explain the story well enough.
The description for the book mentioned mysterious rites and killings, so I was prepared for that. I wasn't prepared for the amount of rape mentioned in this book. I'm sure it was common in the 1400's, but I really don't need to read that much about it. I was very tempted to stop reading at those points. But, I just skipped ahead and tried to give the book the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, it doesn't really get any better. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you really like reading about Milan in the 1400's (and are indifferent about all the rape and murder).
I received this book from GoodReads First Reads and wanted to leave my opinion about it.
This book takes place in Milan, Italy in the 1400's. If you're not familiar with Italian words, be prepared to learn a lot of new ones (from people's names and the names of places). It takes place over the course of thirty or so years. You read about all of the details the brotherhood needed to put their plan in action and can follow the progress of the cathedral being built to their specifications.
I thought the story would focus more on Niccolo and maybe the members of the secret brotherhood. But a lot of time was spent talking about other supporting characters, almost to the point where I didn't feel Niccolo was a main character at all. It just seemed that the back of the book didn't explain the story well enough.
The description for the book mentioned mysterious rites and killings, so I was prepared for that. I wasn't prepared for the amount of rape mentioned in this book. I'm sure it was common in the 1400's, but I really don't need to read that much about it. I was very tempted to stop reading at those points. But, I just skipped ahead and tried to give the book the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, it doesn't really get any better. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you really like reading about Milan in the 1400's (and are indifferent about all the rape and murder).
I received this book from GoodReads First Reads and wanted to leave my opinion about it.
June 25, 2015
Author Daniela Piazza has written a beautiful novel about the construction of the Duomo di Milano and all the famous persons in the era. The noble Visconti family is in constant battle with other families of the era. Numerous political maneuvres, romantic liaisons, and a centuries old secret are at the heart of this story. The main character is a young man named Niccolò who has been raised by a group of monks. Only a few know who he truly is, and he must guard the secret of his true identity or his life is at risk. He knows that when the time is right, he will take his real place in the world.
Daniela Piazza has taken historical detail, real personages of the 15th century, and a touch of fantasy, and weaved them seamlessly together in this brilliant, sweeping new novel. Well developed characters, both good and villainous, made the story very enjoyable for me. The plot had constant twists and turns that kept me guessing. It was also fascinating to read all about the financial troubles faced when constructing the cathedral that still stands today, and which I have visited several times. Terrific descriptions, an unforgettable storyline, and compelling characters make this a book you must read. I loved it! Definitely recommended for everyone who loves Italian history.
Daniela Piazza has taken historical detail, real personages of the 15th century, and a touch of fantasy, and weaved them seamlessly together in this brilliant, sweeping new novel. Well developed characters, both good and villainous, made the story very enjoyable for me. The plot had constant twists and turns that kept me guessing. It was also fascinating to read all about the financial troubles faced when constructing the cathedral that still stands today, and which I have visited several times. Terrific descriptions, an unforgettable storyline, and compelling characters make this a book you must read. I loved it! Definitely recommended for everyone who loves Italian history.
April 6, 2015
The last known Visconti, ruling family of Milan, Italy is dying. He has no known surviving male children. On his death bed, he reveals to Onorio, a druidic priest, that he does have an illegitimate male heir. Problem is, this male child is barely old enough to walk. Onorio, and the other druidic priests take the child, Niccolo, in and raise him themselves, not revealing to anyone who the child truly is. The priests are also in the process of building the Temple of Light. As Niccolo grows, he learns the secrets of those he thinks of as family, makes some very odd friendships, and learns who he truly is. This novel follows his life into adulthood and all the trials and tribulations, plots and counterplots, etc.
While i did come to enjoy this book, I found it difficult to follow at times. There are numerous characters with the name Maria, or possibly Maria being used as a title that I was confused at times. Once the things that seemed to be completely out of context started to come together and make sense, I had an easier time following the plot and characters. If you are an aficionado of Italian history or druidic history, you may very well enjoy this novel.
While i did come to enjoy this book, I found it difficult to follow at times. There are numerous characters with the name Maria, or possibly Maria being used as a title that I was confused at times. Once the things that seemed to be completely out of context started to come together and make sense, I had an easier time following the plot and characters. If you are an aficionado of Italian history or druidic history, you may very well enjoy this novel.
September 26, 2015
Grande prof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! davvero un bel romanzo, scritto divinamente! sarà, descrizioni che ti pare di avere l'immagine davanti, frasi elaborate ma non troppo, di facile e piacevole lettura.. ho fatto solo un pò di confusione coi nomi di personaggi e luoghi, ma immagino perché sono veramente tanti...purtroppo la lettura è stata interrotta a cento pagine dalla fine per più di un mese causa esami...ma oggi ho rimediato!!! e il finale non mi ha deluso...difficile sbrogliare una matassa così intricata e trovare una conclusione in grado di soddisfare i lettori, anche quelli più rompipalle come me!!! Mi sembra ancora di avere nelle narici l'odore dell'umidità di una sera autunnale, col sole che tramonta tra le brume attorno al cantiere del duomo di Milano...Ancora grazie prof per avermi regalato queste stupende emozioni ❤️
June 9, 2016
The Temple in the Light was a good story, but with way too many words. After I got over the desire to look up every church building word I did not kow-the reading went a bit faster. The basic story was set in Milan, Italy, and jumped back in forth in time from the early druids to the 1400s. The current Duke of Milan is preparing to die, and his last request is that his bastard son, Niccolo, be raised by Onorio, a druid in the Church of Milan. Niccolo's upbringing by the church was extensive, and included the secret druid rites as well as the knowledge he would need if he ever became Duke. For Niccolo, however, life was happiest when he was with Angelica and Lorenzo and sculpting in stone-and that is when things get sticky because his life was not his own.
May 2, 2015
ARC provided by NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media
I really wanted to like The Temple of Light by Daniela Piazza but found it to be a difficult book to get into and in which to stay interested. There were so many characters it was hard to keep track of them all and the Italian names were quite confusing. At times, I didn’t know exactly who or what I was reading about. While it was very obvious the book was extremely well researched, perhaps we didn’t need all of the history or, maybe, it could have been presented a bit more interestingly. I felt like I should have had a course in Italian history before reading this book.
I really wanted to like The Temple of Light by Daniela Piazza but found it to be a difficult book to get into and in which to stay interested. There were so many characters it was hard to keep track of them all and the Italian names were quite confusing. At times, I didn’t know exactly who or what I was reading about. While it was very obvious the book was extremely well researched, perhaps we didn’t need all of the history or, maybe, it could have been presented a bit more interestingly. I felt like I should have had a course in Italian history before reading this book.
June 21, 2015
This was an ARC from NetGalley.
I got about a quarter of the way through this book, and could not finish it. I love historical fiction as a rule, but this book was so dry. The pacing of the story was so slow that it was all I could do to get through what I did.
The settings bounced around, and for that matter, the time bouncing was an issue for me too. It made the story hard to follow, and hard to get into. The story had so much potential, but after getting through what I did, I just simply did not enjoy the story. The only part of the story i liked was some of the character names, but honestly, the story fell flat for me. 1/5 Stars
I got about a quarter of the way through this book, and could not finish it. I love historical fiction as a rule, but this book was so dry. The pacing of the story was so slow that it was all I could do to get through what I did.
The settings bounced around, and for that matter, the time bouncing was an issue for me too. It made the story hard to follow, and hard to get into. The story had so much potential, but after getting through what I did, I just simply did not enjoy the story. The only part of the story i liked was some of the character names, but honestly, the story fell flat for me. 1/5 Stars
February 7, 2017
PER LA RECENSIONE COMPLETA:
http://lalettricedistratta.altervista...
Ho letto questo libro grazie al mio gruppo su Facebook di cui vi lascio il link qui. Devo dire che i libri scelti sono sempre ben azzeccati perché non si tratta solo di storici ma e soprattutto del mio genere preferito cioè il thriller.In questo romanzo partecipiamo alla costruzione di uno dei più importanti monumenti nella storia italiana cioè il conosciutissimo Duomo di Milano.Il magnifico ed immenso monumento che sovrasta la città che è stato costruito per essere dedicato alla Madonna.
http://lalettricedistratta.altervista...
Ho letto questo libro grazie al mio gruppo su Facebook di cui vi lascio il link qui. Devo dire che i libri scelti sono sempre ben azzeccati perché non si tratta solo di storici ma e soprattutto del mio genere preferito cioè il thriller.In questo romanzo partecipiamo alla costruzione di uno dei più importanti monumenti nella storia italiana cioè il conosciutissimo Duomo di Milano.Il magnifico ed immenso monumento che sovrasta la città che è stato costruito per essere dedicato alla Madonna.
January 22, 2016
An interesting story with a smattering of fact but mostly fiction containing bits of everything some people want and things some people do not want. At times poignant, romantic, violent, gruesome, salacious and entertaining. But much too often it became a tedious read with religious phraseology I did not understand and overloaded with details and names of objects or places in a foreign language that I am not sure is still in modern usage. The book could have been much shorter and more enjoyable minus these details and surely this is an author who shows great promise.
December 1, 2024
Amazing book, fantastic!
I loved the subject and the writing style of the female author: she used the same one as of Glenn Cooper, Dan Brown, Marcello Simoni.
It is a history novel taking place in the second-mid of the 15th Century, in Milan, between the 50 years of vacuum at the Government of the town, after the end of the Visconti Family and the rise of the Sforza Familie.
Brilliant female writer.
I loved the subject and the writing style of the female author: she used the same one as of Glenn Cooper, Dan Brown, Marcello Simoni.
It is a history novel taking place in the second-mid of the 15th Century, in Milan, between the 50 years of vacuum at the Government of the town, after the end of the Visconti Family and the rise of the Sforza Familie.
Brilliant female writer.
September 11, 2013
Dal principio potrebbe sembrare un romanzo di Hugo, ma lo sfondo non è Nostra Signora di Parigi, bensì un Duomo in costruzione e una Milano viscontea del 1400. Le vicende del giovane Niccolò si intrecciano piacevolmente con aspetti inediti e sorprendenti delle radici storiche della città, ricostruiti e raccontati in modo magistrale ed appassionato dall'autrice.
February 22, 2015
This story looked interesting from the blurb, and it started out strong, but fizzled from there. This just wasn't my type of book, I found it very hard to get into.
ARC received from the publisher for an honest review
ARC received from the publisher for an honest review
May 29, 2015
Although I enjoy reading a wide range of books , I found this one very difficult to get into. It was more a history lesson than a story. There were lots of characters and facts but nothing I could identify with to enable the story to progress
August 31, 2013
Un bel libro adatto a chi vuole conoscere, in modo ovviamente romanzato, la nascita del Duomo di Milano e tutti gli annessi segreti, veri o inventati, che aleggiano intorno alla sua creazione.
January 18, 2015
It's ok, a bit violent and rude, but the duomo story is interesting and catches your attention
October 6, 2015
Disappointed
Wanted to like this book but couldn't. Too much time spent on discussions. Too little time on plot and characters
Wanted to like this book but couldn't. Too much time spent on discussions. Too little time on plot and characters
January 9, 2019
Tra prolissità e violenza si perde un po' la storia di un brevissimo momento del passato.
June 12, 2023
Commentato qui: https://leggendoeguardando.blogspot.c...
October 23, 2024
Stupendo avvincente la storia della Milano viscontea e la fabbrica del Duomo meravigliosamente raccontata con intrigante passione... mozzafiato
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