The novel tells the story of the rivalry between the powerful Este sisters, Beatrice and Isabella, princesses of the House of Ferrara, as they competed for the attentions of both the Duke of Milan and Leonardo da Vinci when the artist was court painter in the High Renaissance.

“Leonardo's character is one of the great surprises of this book, and in portraying him the author never seems to engage in post-Dan Brown opportunism.

The reader may be constantly reminded of Leonardo's genius, but he is an understated figure, a brilliant but disorganized mind whose twitchy intelligence makes him interested in starting countless projects but able to finish few.

One of the pleasures of reading this book is learning the secret history behind paintings like The Last Supper and The Virgin of the Rocks.

[1] The novel was widely read and acclaimed in Italy[citation needed] and won the Premio Roma for Foreign Fiction in 2007.