Measure of a Man

Marco Malvaldi, Howard Curtis

"October 1493. Florence is still mourning the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Columbus' ships have only recently reached the New World. The modern financial system has just come into being thanks to the adaption of the letter of credit. Meanwhile, Milan is experiencing a renaissance under the leadership of Ludovico il Moro. Those wandering in the courtyards of Milan's Castle or along the Navigli canals often encounter a strange man in his forties, dressed in long pink robes, his expression calm, like someone who is lost in his own thoughts. The man lives above his workshop, with his mother and a mischievous little boy whom he dotes on; he doesn't eat meat, writes from right to left, and struggles to get paid by his employers. His name is Leonardo da Vinci. His fame extends beyond the Alps, to the French court of Charles VIII, whose envoys have been tasked with a secret mission that...