Love That Moves the Sun: Vittoria Colonna and Michelangelo Buonarroti

by Linda Cardillo

Overview

In 1534, Michelangelo is no longer safe in Florence. Pope Clement VII, his childhood friend, summons him to Rome not only to protect him from his enemies but also to demand he paint a masterpiece that will be the Medici Pope's legacy—the Last Judgment, a fresco for the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.

At the same moment, fate brings the celebrated but reclusive poet Vittoria Colonna to Rome to petition the pope as a favor to a dear friend.

The two encounter each other briefly in the Vatican, and Michelangelo sketches from memory the enigmatic beauty of the poet's face. When she sees the drawing, she recognizes in the artist the kindred spirit she has found elusive throughout the course of her turbulent life.

This fleeting moment is the foundation of a profound relationship between the two artists that feeds both their creativity and their need for connection in the midst of war-torn 16th century Italy.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940186082446
Publisher:	Bellastoria Press
Publication date:	11/20/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	771,420
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

LINDA CARDILLO is an award-winning author of historical fiction and historical romance. She writes about the old country and the new, the tangle and embrace of family, and finding courage in the midst of loss.

She is also co-founder of Bellastoria Press, an independent publisher of compelling and beautiful stories.

In an earlier life Linda worked as an editor of college textbooks before earning an MBA at Harvard Business School at a time when women represented only 15% of the class. Armed with her Harvard degree, she managed the circulation of Inc. magazine during its successful start- up, founded a catering business and then built a career as the author of several works of nonfiction, from articles in The New York Times to books on marketing and corporate policy. Throughout her professional life and while raising her family, she nurtured her intention to write fiction. Her debut novel, Dancing on Sunday Afternoons, which launched Harlequin’s Everlasting Love series, was published in 2007.

When she isn’t writing, Linda loves to cook and is happiest when the twelve chairs around her dining room table are filled with people enjoying her food. She speaks four languages, some better than others. She plays the piano every night—sometimes by herself and sometimes in an improvisational duet with her younger son. She does The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle in ink, a practice she learned from her mother. From her mother she also absorbed a love of opera, especially those of Puccini and Verdi, whose music filled her home when she was a child. She once climbed Mt. Kenya and has very curly hair.

For news and upcoming events, previews of new work, and musings on the writing life, sign up for Linda’s newsletter at lindacardillo.com.

Editorial Reviews

. . . an elegant portrayal of the friendship between the poet and the artist who stirred her from solitude. Intimate and perspective-driven, it explores faith, love, and the lines where public and private life converge. For all its courtly manners and Renaissance intrigue, Love That Moves the Sun distills into a delicate portrayal of one woman's search for depth in herself and her relationships.

Foreword Clarion Reviews - N/A