House of Secrets

A look into the tantalising secrets of Florence's Palazzo Rucellai. When Italian Renaissance professor Allison Levy takes up residency in the palazzo of her dreams - the Palazzo Rucellai in Florence - she finds herself consumed by the space and swept into the vortex of its history. She spends every waking moment in dusty Florentine libraries, exploring the palazzo's myriad rooms seeking to uncover its secrets. As she unearths the stories of those who have lived behind its celebrated façade, she discovers that it has been witness to weddings, suicides, orgies, the dissection of a 'monster', and even a murder. Entwining Levy's own experiences with the ghosts of the Palazzo Rucellai's past, House of Secrets paints a scintillating portrait of a family, a palace and one of the most iconic cities in the world.

Allison Levy

Map of Florence List of Illustrations Timeline of principal events Author's Note Preface Prologue Piano Terra Chapter One: The Merchant Primo Piano Chapter Two: The Opportunists Secondo Piano Chapter Three: The Heir Aberrant Terzo Piano Chapter Four: The Suicide Bride Quarto Piano Chapter Five: The Salonnière Quinto Piano Chapter Six: The Tenant Sesto Piano Epilogue Acknowledgments Text Permissions Notes Bibliography Index