The Hill of Venus

A summons to San Cataldo brings Francesco Villani through the twilight countryside of southern Italy in the summer of 1266. At the monastery gates, his first concern is his father's condition, while the Prior's guarded manner gives the visit an uneasy atmosphere. Nathan Gallizier opens this historical romance with olive trees, distant towns, pilgrims and the sound of monks chanting, making landscape and religious life part of Francesco's introduction.

Later, Francesco travels in clerical dress beside the outspoken Duke of Spoleto. Their conversation turns to the Church's worldly power and the value of withdrawing from public life. Between these arguments come encounters with beggars, pilgrims and other roadside figures, giving the medieval setting a lively social texture. Readers interested in historical fiction about personal duty and religious authority will find a story told through elaborate scenery, dramatic conversations and sharply contrasted companions.