Frederica and Arthur Steinberg

Soul of Venice Frederica and Arthur Steinberg

Venice, portrayed in all her beauty, mystery, and hidden secrets . . . Set in 2006, this novel follows twenty-five-year-old architect Pietro Contarini, descendant of a Venetian patrician family, as he struggles to find his place in the world of his ancestors and in modern-day Venice. He has a lucrative job with Vittorio Pisani, an ambitious real-estate developer. Over the course of three months, Pietro's encounters with Alessandro Zane and Maddalena Bocchese influence his decisions. Zane, a shrewd merchant, returns from Beirut with a plan to reinvigorate the city and its culture against countervailing forces. But is this his real goal? And Maddalena, a beautiful and sophisticated painting restorer, believes in the Myth of Venice, stories that elevate the city to its God-ordained place. Pietro's dead grandfather, Francesco Contarini, who speaks to him periodically, shares this belief. But Pietro rejects this mythic view. After all, he lives in the "real" world and is leaving for Rome, where a job waits for him. Beyond Pietro's unfolding story, the reader is treated to many fascinating aspects of Venice: her glorious history, famous merchants and painters of centuries past, the crafts of Venice, and the complicated canal system. And of course, the everpresent and seamy aspects of real-estate development and corruption. Through an intriguing story and remarkable color photographs, The Soul of Venice offers a rare glimpse into the workings of this unique place, a largely preserved medieval city that is built on the water and that stands out like a jewel in the world's landscape.