Florence – Blood in the Arena

Description

A Florentine gladiator, Dracula, and the Renaissance. A world of monsters and masterpieces. Every human being is a child of their time. For the geniuses who illuminated Florence?s history and transformed the city into a marvel like no other, this was also true. But what lies hidden behind the much-vaunted image of Florence as a ?cradle of art?? How much blood was spilled in the name of goodness and beauty from the other face of Florence, her more disturbing side, bloodied and sadistic? How many poor souls were sacrificed in the Roman amphitheatre for the amusement of the people, or on the profane altar of the gallows amid torture and bloodbaths, both public and private? It is these very torments, witnessed by artists alongside all Florentines, that were miraculously turned into ecstasies on the altars, the palaces, the churches, and the libraries. Stefano Sieni is a special envoy, researcher, and explorer, well known in Italy and abroad for his discoveries and publications. His lifetime of study, adventure, and curiosity culminates in this publication. The book takes us on a wondrous ride through the centuries, a journey through the names and dates behind Florence?s mysteries revealed.

We start with a mystery about the unsettling history of a funerary stele. This was the tragic tribute to a gladiator, a star in the public spotlight, who is said to have been betrayed and killed in the arena. Next we learn about another shadowy historical figure who appears in the fifteenth century, Vlad III of Wallachia, a name that would become literary legend as Bram Stoker?s Dracula. What connections did the polyglot Vlad III have with Florence and with the world of Humanists of which he was part?