Italianrenaissance Stories

"Madonna!" the man exclaimed, his voice reaching a pitch that set Maddalena's teeth on edge. "You look as beautiful as the night sky tonight. Truly, the stars themselves would weep in envy of your radiance." Maddalena paused, her gaze shifting slowly from the man's overly manicured eyebrows to the shimmering emerald of her own sleeves. She turned her head slightly, looking toward the ceiling of the ballroom, then back to the lord. "Is the sky green?" she asked, her voice flat and devoid of any flirtatious warmth. The silence that followed was absolute. The lord blinked, his mouth hanging open as he looked from her dress back to her face, his brain seemingly unable to process the lack of a bashful smile. "I-no," he stammered, his confidence evaporating in real-time. "Then I fear your compliment requires some work, Messer," she replied with a small, devastatingly precise shrug. "Accuracy is the soul of a good observation. Do try again when you've spent some time observing the actual weather."

In the times of rebirth, renewal, and revival of society, Catalina itches to add to her precious hometown of Florence, Italy, as are so many others. But, her mother has forbade her from doing such a thing, from even picking up a brush, as is her preference, and for very good reasons that even Catalina herself understands. She understands, but that doesn't mean she likes it. Catalina, after a long time of obedience, finally lovingly uses her trusty paintbrush to put delicate strokes of paint to paper. But her actions have dire consequences that Catalina must live with. Can she do anything to be able to draw and paint without the punishment that comes with it?

Scout Vale is not like other girls. She's faster, stronger, smarter. She's an Assassin. On the run, her dreams are plagued with memories of a life long passed . With two ancient orders hunting her down for her abilities, Scout must complete her duty handed to her years before. Aria Caravello was once a woman of nobility and wealth in Renaissance Venice. But her privileged house of cards tumbled with the murder of her family. Bitter, she butchered any man associated with their murderers. Her quest for vengeance is cut short when she comes into contact with an ancient order, forcing her to follow a different path with a mysterious man at her side. Little does Aria know that it could be a path that was laid out for her years before she was born. Paths so intricately interwoven, a legacy bound by blood, two strong women must complete a quest generations in the making. They are Assassins. ➳ Cover designed by cloudland ➳

In the year 1508, the divinely inspired and distinguished artist Michelangelo Buonarroti reluctantly began to work on the walls of the Sistine Chapel by order of the pope. He had labored vigorously to perfect his masterpiece, and halfway on its completion, he was keen on anyone skulking around trying to catch a glimpse of his artwork for inspiration. He would not let another man plagiarize his work, he would not renounce the Sistine Chapel to anyone. Especially to Raphael. Michelangelo's fierce rivalry with Raphael Sanzio could've been solely based on their differences and competition for fame and fortune. But the sculptor's hatred towards a fellow artist could be much more deeper and complex than we think.

Cole Leo Marino, Born 1454, Italian Renaissance Man, Leonardo Da Vinci's best friend since childhood. That's how they know me. Here's a little secret. That's not me. Well, it wasn't me before my Da- never mind. I was born April 15th, 2054 into a rich family with a rich Italian-French Heritage. I've always been interested in history, specifically Italian. I've always dreamt of being thrust into the past, right into the Italian Renaissance. Now it's not a dream. And the fate of the world is in my hands. So, how should I go about protecting it?