It was beautiful but I knew nothing of the history or family. The Medici were also at the forefront of banking innovation, which helped raise their profile among the rich of Europe. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. In my opinion, it was simply an 'okay' read. A shocking ancient secret. The Medici family had a long and powerful influence in European history for hundreds of years. Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2012 The plot revolves around the Medici family, namely Cosimo. The characters feel more like 2D constructs rather than real people even the historical people are laughably too modern. The action takes us to Venice and modern Macedonia, with flashbacks to Cosimo and his family/friends. He ruled Florence with his younger brother, Giuliano (1453–78), from 1469 to 1478 and, after the latter’s assassination, was sole ruler from 1478 to 1492. This is an easy and relatively quick read, perfect for airports and planes etc. It kept my interest through out, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2018, a mistake to mix two eras together unable to cope with the switching between these people, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2019. So you have the machiavellian Medici creating what 500 years later was to become a compelling mystery, when modern day archeologists discovered the presence of an alien object resting against the spine of the supposed mummy of Cosimo de Medici. Sadly I didn't really get into this book. I enjoyed the putting together secrets and clues to come to a conclusion. It wasn't the greatest book I've ever read... but not the worst book either. In the crypt of the Medici Chapel in Florence, palaeopathologist, Edie Granger, and her uncle, Carlin Mackenzie, are examining the mummified remains of one of the most powerful families in Renaissance Italy. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. In the end, perhaps it's the mixing of fiction with real characters from history (doing things they never did) which is the problem. A good adventure/thriller. The origins of western civilization discovered. Be the first to ask a question about The Medici Secret. The action takes us to Venice and modern Macedonia, with flashbacks to Cosimo and his family/friends. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Good ideas but about half way through I got bored. Old Scores 55m. Terrific Modern and historical whodunnit, steeped in detail. Big mistake. Never read this if you want feel like you are in Italy and don’t read this for historical accuracy. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! The Medici family fascinates me, particularly Cosimo, and I also love Venice and Florence. I found the storyline to be reminiscent of the DaVinci Code and the characters weren'. There are 100 billion neurons in our brains that control your thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs. Hmmm, doesn't this sound vaguely familiar? It is composed of life-affirming and success-driving meditations of The Medici Family who ruled the city of Florence throughout the Renaissance period. The first chapters were promising, lots of detail, but towards the middle and ending I found the plot and writing rushed, not to mention the unrealistic gun threats. February 28th 2008 With Daniel Sharman, Alessandra Mastronardi, Synnove Karlsen, Sebastian De Souza. I bought this book in the gift shop of the Medici tombs in Florence. Not much of a story. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. The trail leads the brothers to … The Medici Secret meshes past and present, cryptic clues and constant menace to produce a mystery thriller that does not relax its grip for one single moment. A shocking ancient secret. The Renaissance—our most fundamental age of technological and artistic advance, was built upon a secret passed down to a banking family in Florence—the Medici. It was cool to kinda get a grasp on who Cosimo was as a person. 1. At the beginning they find a rectangular object inside a body and then later they are looking for a vial of liquid. Then it was all over the place. Fully absorbing and action packed from the first page! The non-historical characters included were 2D, the romance was so completely undeveloped it just made me laugh, and the whole thing just seemed way too melodramatic. Who knows how they made that in the time of Cosimo. With a visit to the stone masonry Medici Palace, we will see the surprising sites behind the great facade, including a charming and graceful internal colonnaded courtyard. I would read another of his novels to be able to make a judgement on his writings. Everyone wanted to be more successful and know the exact secret of success. Please try again. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. But honestly, the plot and the action is so far-fetched as to be laughable, and where the author couldn't think of anything far-fetched to add as a plot line, he just jumped straight from a to m or n with nothing in between. A conspiracy of silence. It appears that the small section between the Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery is open to those who purchase a combined museum ticket to both places (but this is a only a very small … Seriously, this isn't a bad book. Vasari also designed and built an enclosed, almost 1-km long, secret passageway that connected Pitti Palace with Palazzo Vecchio (the Town Hall), in order for the Medici family to be able to move freely and with no risks between their residence and the political power offices: the Vasari Corridor. Having just been in Rome with a visit to Florence I couldn't resist this book. I suppose that there are worse books in the world, but I did find this one to be a waste of time. May still check out The Borgia Ring. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The historical aspects were interesting though. The vaulted chamber was found under a stone floor behind the main altar of … This book read like it was trying desperately to be something by Dan Brown -- in other words, it had a deplorable lack of ambition. Something went wrong. Two stars. Sometimes the hints are so odd, that I couldn't quite understand them. It provided the Roman Catholic Church with four popes (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leon XI) and married into the royal families of Europe. Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2012. It asserts that Cosimo had a deep dark secret which is coming to light during an excavation on his grave in Florence. Each one felt like a cartoon sketch of an act. An ancient mystery. The Medici dynasty has influenced almost everything you can think of. John Hooper in Rome. Each one felt like a cartoon sketch of an actual person. Too much jumping about between past and present and characters, became very confusing.Not a favourite. I stumbled across this book while staying in a hostel in London. 500 years ago that secret was buried. I gave it two stars on the grounds that I remained interested enough to keep reading, though this wasn't the author's fault -- Cosimo and Contessina de' Medici were the people that kept me interested. The Medici Project represents a unique opportunity to reconstruct the health and lifestyle of the members of this important family of the Italian Renaissance. It asserts that Cosimo had a deep dark secret which is coming to light during an excavation on his grave in Florence. I have always been a fan of books that mix fact with fiction and The Medici Secret does not disappoint.The story goes from 1410 to present day hopscotching back and forth and gorgeous town of Venice provides the ideal backdrop and working its way across the world from era to era unravelling as it goes the secret the Medici family spent so long concealing and the reasons behind the many riddles … A secret to kill for. Not good really. This just trash and god the utter laziness and appalling lack in understanding anything about medieval society. The jumps about in time (and space) were irritating: novels don't have to be linear, but I'd rather there was some kind of rhyme or reason to it. The Sistine Chapel wouldn’t be what it is without Lorenzo de’ Medici. But as another reviewer has s. Two stars. Thu 8 Jul 2004 07.25 EDT. Wrap them all up and throw in a dead body, a chapel, a lost secret, lots of codes, assassins, and mix it all up with a quest to find the truth. The Renaissance—our most fundamental age of technological and artistic advance, was built upon a secret passed down to a banking family in Florence—the Medici. 1. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. In 1530, to escape the wrath of the Pope, Michelangelo holed up in a tiny secret room under the Medici Chapel of the Basilica di San Lorenzo. I gave it two stars on the grounds that I remained interested enough to keep reading, though this wasn't the author's fault -- Cosimo and Contessina de' Medici were the people that kept me interested. Readin this book was like watching a Dan Brown book based movie. The characters feel more like 2D constructs rather than real people even the historical people are laughably too modern. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2020, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2018, A well written book very enjoyable with all the twist and turns of the plot. Well-written and entertaining. It was a fast read, action packed. I was right! His remains were being studied by a team of Forensic Anthropologists to prove it was in fact Cosimo. The grandson of Cosimo de’ Medici, he was the most brilliant of the Medici family. The action takes us to Venice and modern Macedonia, with flashbacks to Cosimo and his family/friends. These powerful bloodlines are the Breakspear, Somaglia, Orsini, Farnese, and Aldobrandini. A political family drama set in Florence in the early fifteenth century. The Medici family fascinates me, particularly Cosimo, and I also love Venice and Florence. A fictional introduction to some of the Medici -family in Venice and Florence were being studied by a team Forensic... And relatively quick read, perfect for airports and planes etc you read thinking it will improve and became! A favourite email address below and we 'll send you a link to download the free App, your! 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