Synopsis

A mysterious prophecy marks the birth of Romieu de Villeneuve. Fate will make him a restless pilgrim, pushing him to leave the peaceful safety of a monastery to become an advisor at the court of Count Raimondo Berengario. Awaiting the "Romeo of Villanova"—whose downfall, due to the slanders of his courtiers, was immortalized in Paradiso and made famous—is another new beginning, in search of the meaning of life. The novel tells the story of the passions fueled by the constant pursuit of "knowledge" in the frenzied dynastic world of medieval Provence, shaken by heretical fury. Romieu's pilgrimage thus leads us, page after page, to Father Berengario, the count's blind uncle, a profound friendship fueled by fervent reading. The journey of a son of the Middle Ages, born into a nobility fallen into ruin, is also the unmistakable hallmark of an era driven by desire and the happiness of intelligence.