Love That Moves the Sun: Vittoria Colonna and Michelangelo Buonarroti
Description
Finalist for INDIES Book of the Year
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.
Rich historical detail and masterful storytelling bring these legendary characters and their milieu to vivid, unforgettable life.
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About the Author
Reviews
"Cardillo gives us an intimate, rich, engrossing glimpse into the life of one of the most celebrated poets of the Renaissance and her extraordinary relationship with Michelangelo. Anyone who loves being immersed in historical detail that's woven organically into a seamless narrative will love this beautifully researched and written novel." - Susanne Dunlap, author of Émilie's Voice and Liszt's Kiss
"Cardillo's (Island Legacy, 2017, etc.) latest book is a sweeping historical epic and a sensitively observed exploration of the passionate friendship between Colonna and Michelangelo . . . . Ambitious in scope, the narrative covers 1500 to 1547, shifting between their relationship and Colonna's childhood and adolescence on the island of Ischia, her marriage to Ferrante and his betrayal of her trust, and her development as a poet. While Colonna and Michelangelo's friendship forms the emotional center of the novel, the poet's story and her journey as a woman and a writer are dynamic and multilayered. . . . A stirring and emotionally resonant portrait of a pivotal relationship in the life of Michelangelo." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"An extraordinary novel about an extraordinary woman. Vittoria Colonna, a noblewoman and renowned poet in sixteenth-century Italy, counted among her friends popes, cardinals and nuns, military leaders and scholars, and most significantly, Michelangelo. In this exquisite novel, Linda Cardillo brings the world of Renaissance Italy and this brilliant, heroic woman magnificently to life. Brimming with action and passion, Love That Moves the Sun grabbed hold of me and never let go". - Judith Arnold, USA Today bestselling author
". . . 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. Vittoria's passions, constrained as they were by her time, speak to a boundless spirit that is inspirational even now." - Foreword Clarion Reviews
