About this item
In the tradition of big-picture histories like The Swerve, a riveting account of a battle that changed the course of history - and a lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci When the armies of Florence, Venice, and the Papal States clashed with the forces of the Republic of Milan on June 29, 1440, the outcome would bring the Medicis to power and lead to the Renaissance. Into this deeply researched and ground-breaking book on the little-known battle of Anghiari, Capponi weaves the story of a lost fresco that Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint to commemorate the battle on the wall of the Palazzo Vecchio - directly across from his rival, Michelangelo. Da Vinci abandoned the work and it was soon painted over. Now, hundreds of years later, the Italian researcher Maurizio Seracini has proved that da Vinci's original art is still there, and he's working to uncover it.
About the Author
Born in Florence nearly half a century ago, Niccolò Capponi has imbibed that peculiar Florentine spirit by which not much is sacred, and even less to be trusted. This served him very well when he decided to become a historian, and over the years he has often aroused the ire of quite a few people, adversed to see their cherished myths challenged. Niccolò Capponi, however, believes that with intelligent people one can iron-out differences over a glass (or a bottle) of good wine.
