Set during the Italian Renaissance, it follows the life of Cesare Borgia, whose soul is damned in a pact made with the Devil.

In the manga, Cesare's father Rodrigo Borgia, a Cardinal, sells his infant son's soul to the Devil as part of a deal that will one day make him Pope Alexander VI.

[5] Akita Shoten collected the individual chapters into 12 tankōbon (bound volumes) published under the Princess Comics imprint from March 8, 2001, to June 16, 2010.

[8][9] Cantarella has also been translated into Traditional Chinese by Ever Glory Publishing, French by Asuka, German by Carlsen Comics, Russian by Palma Press, and Italian by Free Books.

[citation needed] In 2007, Cantarella was listed as one of the Young Adult Library Services Association's Great Graphic Novels for Teens.