Carnival of Saints

Italy is ablaze with the artistic brilliance, sexual corruption, political intrigue and religious fanaticism.A vagabond and fugitive of outrageous appearance sneaks into Italy from the North and invents a new name and identity – Harlequin. In Aosta he encounters an aging, resourceful whore – Columbina, who promises to feed and transport him if he agrees to teach her to read and dance.As this unlikely pair flees South through Italy, they attract more fugitives: Scapino, a juggling cut-purse and his lecherous bastard son Pantalone; Giacomo, Leonardo’s inept artistic assistant who assumes a new identity as the Dottore; Isabella, an aristocratic lady traveling incognito; the blustering Capitano wanted for desertion; a spirited tart on the run; and a handsome student in search of adventure.Pooling their wits, talents, and scanty resources this band of fugitives, misfits, and thieves don fantastic disguises and transform a guild wagon into a stage set, mounting bawdy, slapstick entertainments in the cities' piazzas. The new form of people’s theatre – Commedia dell’Arte – sweeps the country with its hilarious mockery of the corrupt nobles and scandalous clergy allowing the actors to slip through the hands of the Borgia spies who are pursuing them for a variety of mysterious reasons.If you are fascinated by raw history as it is revealed in a captivating story of nine fugitives fleeing political, religious and social injustice then Carnival of Saints is a must read.“Herman’s rambunctious, bawdy narrative bursts with local color and conveys the frantic energy of a turbulent time…”Publishers WeeklyRead more