Rome in the late 16th century is a seething cauldron of political and religious tension. It is 1592 and the young Michelangelo Merisi arrives from his home village of Caravaggio in Lombardy after being acquitted of a murder charge in Milan. This is the story of his short and turbulent life, his rise from penniless obscurity to become the greatest painter of his age or any age, inspired by his lifelong love for the beautiful Cecco and happy to be nicknamed Caravaggio.
He is fêted by princes, dukes, cardinals and a scheming pope, he makes fortunes and spends them just as quickly, but when he kills a man in a duel over a game of tennis his world is shattered. Under sentence of death he flees with Cecco to Lombardy, Naples and Sicily, aided and sheltered by his aristocratic friends. In Malta he becomes a Knight of the Most Holy Order of St John, is thrown into prison and escapes.
Back in Naples he seeks the protection of the Contessa Constanza Colonna and her noble family, but is never told the Contessa’s private knowledge of the circumstances of his birth — although she does reveal it to Cecco under a powerful oath of secrecy.
Drinking in a low taverna one afternoon, Caravaggio barely survives an attempt on his life by his tennis victim’s thugs, and Cecco is wounded defending him. As he slowly recovers he decides to return to Rome on rumours of the promise of a pardon from the Pope. Now his luck runs out. The ship with his paintings on it leaves without him, and he starts his famous three-day ride to chase it, with Cecco riding at his side.
It is all in vain. Exhausted, wounded, ill with fever and at last with so much to live for, Michelangelo Merisi, who is now Caravaggio forever, dies as dawn rises on an empty beach at Porto Ercole, cradled in the arms of his one and only love, the beautiful Cecco.
Here is the true account, taken straight from Cecco’s journal which he keeps with him in Napoli. When he dies it will be buried with him, and no-one will know these things ever anymore.
Title of the book: CARAVAGGIO AND THE ART OF MAYHEM
Author: Brent Smith
Price: Kindle edition $ 6.24
Link to buy the book: click here or on the title above.
Rosalba Mancuso is the journalist, born in Sicily, who founded three online magazines in English. On Advicebooks Book Reviews, Rosalba shows her great passion for books, helping readers and book lovers choose and buy the best books she read and reviewed. She also worked as a contributor to print and online magazines and as a bilingual Italian-English writer. Here, Rosalba also offers room to authors and publishers who want to get their books reviewed through the voice of an avid reader like her. You must also know that this book review magazine lives thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you buy books through the affiliate links you find in her book reviews. This book review magazine is also funded by services of editorial reviews and book press releases.
