Miracles on a plate

In this richly crafted novel, writer Laurie Albanese and art historian Laura Morowitz take the reader on a journey through Renaissance Italy, one of the most fascinating and glorious periods in the country's long history. Inspired by a true story, the authors interweave fact and fiction to paint a beautiful portrait of the era and a moving case of forbidden love. In 1456, the small and beautiful village of Prato, Italy, experienced the height of the Renaissance. In this time of fertile creativity, in which arts and culture played a fundamental role, one name stood out in the city: Friar Filippo Lippi. A talented painter, besides receiving important commissions from the Catholic Church to create works of art that celebrated God and all His glory, his main patron was the powerful Cosimo de' Medici. However, this sensitive artist's life was not limited to the arts; Friar Filippo was also the chaplain to the nuns of the Santa Margherita convent, and it was precisely within the walls of the cloister that he encountered the greatest temptation of his life. Blessed with angelic beauty, the young orphan Lucrezia Buti retreats to the convent more out of necessity than vocation. Intoxicated by Lucrezia's perfect features, the friar sees in her beautiful face the perfect inspiration for countless Madonnas. Under the protection of powerful friends and an unscrupulous prioress, Friar Filippo obtains permission to receive visits from Lucrezia in his studio. Painter and muse soon unite in a stimulating whirlwind of artistic discovery, and an unstoppable passion blossoms between the artist and the novice. The two live a scandalous relationship condemned by the Church, which, despite inspiring some of Lippi's greatest works, threatens to destroy them. The romance provokes repulsion, envy, revenge... and only a miracle of unwavering faith can save them. A wonderful historical narrative that weaves together real and fictional characters, Miracles on a Plate is a moving read about desire and devotion in an extraordinary time and place where faith and art were, above all, religiously respected.