The extraordinary life of Francesco Borromini — the visionary architect who transformed the Italian Baroque — comes alive in an immersive novel of art, faith, political ambition and private anguish.

Long before Rome knew him as Borromini, he was Francesco Castelli, a quiet, stubborn boy fascinated by stones. Drawn irresistibly to architecture, he is sent to the workshops of Milan Cathedral to master his craft. His path eventually leads to seventeenth-century Rome, a city of splendour, power and ruthless ambition. There, Francesco raises amid the grandeur of St Peter’s and the intrigues of the papal court. But his rivalry with Gian Lorenzo Bernini—and his relentless pursuit of perfection—draw him toward a tragic end.

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