The Architect

The journey of the young Plautilla begins in Rome during the era of Caravaggio and Bernini, where dazzling baroque gold coexists with the poverty of narrow streets. In a domestic workshop, surrounded by books, paints, and drawings, her father secretly teaches her to draw. The audacious idea—to become an architect and build an original villa on a hill overlooking the city—seems unthinkable for a woman in the 17th century. But Plautilla Bricci navigates court intrigues, conspiracies of Vatican officials, and the schemes of artists competing for lucrative commissions so skillfully that she gains a chance to realize her dream.

Melania Mazzucco, winner of the prestigious Italian literary prize Strega, has created a sweeping novel about the talent and spirit that allowed the first woman architect to forever inscribe her name in the history of the Eternal City.