REVIEWS  OF THE ROAD TO GESUALDO: “BORGIAS LITE”

Amazon.com corrected their mistake: I’m once again Erika Rummel.

Here are excerpts from two reviews of The Road to Gesualdo”:

An intelligently rambling look at life in 1500s Italy…I suppose you could call it “Borgias Lite.”

A pleasantly chaotic setting that gives us a grand scope of just how influential the Renaissance was starting to become across southern Europe, with scenes set from backwoods villages to Vatican City itself. Rummel does a particularly great job here at examining the curious cooperation and conflicts between the superstitious, pre-science Medieval period…and the rational, capitalist, politically savvy, science-embracing mercantile class.

People will enjoy the leisurely stroll through the very real-seeming daily lives of courtesans, countesses, merchants, and priests…even if there is always a rational explanation for everything and no sexy vampires.

(Jason Bettus, Chicago Center for Literature and Photography)

A vivid historical novel blending romance and intrigue in a female-centered story of strong women who rise above their upbringings and duty to become more effective forces in charge of their lives.

Rummel’s attention to strong characterization and capturing the sights, smells, and atmosphere of 16^th century Italy contributes to a vivid story…which concludes with a satisfying twist.

(D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review)

MY NEW NOVEL IS OUT: THE ROAD TO GESUALDO

If you look it up on amazon.co, you'll find it under "Erika Rimmel" -- no, I haven't changed my name.  I'm still Erika Rummel. Amazon made a mistake and has promised to correct it within 24 hours. 

GESUALDO CASTLE REDUX.  The rebirth of Carlo Gesualdo’s princely residence.

Last month I visited Gesualdo, the home of Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, famous for his musical genius, infamous for murdering his wife.

Igor Stravinski visited the site to do homage to the Renaissance composer.  I went to look at the castle, which is being renovated five hundred years after the composer's death.

My amiable host was Giuseppe Mastrominico, a Renaissance man himself, professor of law at the University of Naples, musicologist, choir director, organizer of concerts, and enthusiastic promoter of Gesualdo.

The castle was tenanted until 1980, when an earthquake made it uninhabitable and it was acquired by the town. The renovations have brought to light murals covered by stucco and high wooden ceilings concealed behind lower structures.

The splendid interior court is still masked by scaffolding, but by 2015 one wing will be ready for visitors.

If the initiatives of the town pay off, Gesualdo will become a centre of music, as it was under Prince Carlo.  A beginning has been made with the restoration of the Capella below the castle, which already serves as a concert hall.

But you are waiting to hear about Carlo’s murder? Was he punished? No, it was an honour killing. Carlo considered himself innocent in the eyes of the law, but not in the eyes of God. To atone for the murder, he founded a Capuchin monastery. The deed (framed, under glass) hangs behind the desk of Gesualdo’s mayor.

Carlo's signature, dated 1594