Stravaganza is a series of novels written by children's author Mary Hoffman. The books are set alternatively between Islington, an area of London, England, and various cities in Talia, an alternate version of Renaissance Italy.

The series originally composed of a trilogy of books, individually subtitled City of Masks, City of Stars, City of Flowers, and the newly released City of Secrets.(Renaissance Padua). ^[1]

City of Masks

The story begins with Lucien Mulholland, a teenager recovering from chemotherapy. His father gives him a blue marbled notebook so that Lucien can write in it since Lucien's throat hurts. When he falls asleep holding the book, he wakes up in the enchanting Bellezza, a Renaissance Venice-like city in the country of Talia (which resembles Renaissance Italy), ruled by a beautiful and imperious Duchessa. Here he meets the adventurous Arianna Gasparini, a vaganti, travellers of a secret order who can move between Lucien's world and Rodolfo's by use of a talisman (an object from the other's world). However, Bellezza for all its beauty also has many dangers, especially for those who become close to the Duchessa...

City of Stars

Georgia O'Grady is a girl who is frequently tormented by her stepbrother, Russell, and loves horses. Her only escape is to go horseback riding. When she falls asleep holding a miniature winged horse figurine, she wakes up in a stable in Talia in the city of Remora (Renaissance Siena), a city divided in twelve sections for each of the signs of the western zodiac. Here, she meets the Montalbani family, which includes the Horsemaster Paolo and his son Cesare. Paolo, like Rodolfo, is a Stravagante and reveals to Georgia (who is mistaken initially for a boy and retains this as a disguise throughout the book, her name is Giorgio) that she has come at a very important time: a horse race known as the Stellata is about to take place.

The Twelfth of the Ram, which holds ties to the city of Bellezza and is the twelfth of the Montalbanis, has not won the race in twenty-five years. The di Chimici family (antagonists in the first book) intend for them to lose again to prove to the new Duchessa of Bellezza, Arianna Rossi (formerly Arianna Gasparini), and her father, Rodolfo, the advantages of joining their alliance by marrying Gaetano di Chimici, the homely but charming third son of the head of the family, Duke Niccolo of Giglia. Gaetano, while willing to submit to his father's ambitions, would rather study and is more concerned about the well-being of his younger brother, Falco, who was crippled in a riding accident.

Meanwhile, a special horse has been born to the Twelfth of the Ram, one that may actually bring about the luck the twelfth needs to break their losing streak...

Lucien, the protagonist of the last book, as well as other important supporting characters, such as Silvia (the old Duchessa), Rodolfo, and Arianna, appear again.

City of Flowers

In this third book, we are introduced to Sky Meadows, a teenager whose mother, an aroma-therapist named Rosalind, is recovering from M.E., and has never met his father, a black rock star named Rainbow Warrior. Sky is shy and reclusive, partly because he feels he needs to protect his mother, and doesn't seem to have the nerve to tell the girl he likes how he feels (mostly because she has a pair of rather familiar tough looking friends, a girl with tiger-striped red hair and the school's fencing champion).

Everything changes when Sky finds a blue perfume bottle and falls asleep with it in hand. He awakes in Giglia (Renaissance Florence) where the pharmacist-friar and Stravagante Sulien is waiting for him(he is given the name Celestino Pascoli). Sky finds himself embroiled in a world of art and intrigue as the di Chimici family prepares for four weddings. Once again Bellezza's young Duchessa becomes involved as she has been invited as a guest by Gaetano di Chimici, one of the grooms and a personal friend of hers, and also to commission a statue of her sculpted by the great Giuditta Miele, another Stravagante.

Meanwhile, the di Chimici family and its rival, the Nucci family, have reached a point in their age old blood feud where the flood gates are about to open...

Luciano, Arianna, Rodolfo, Georgia, and Falco di Chimici, and other important characters from the previous books appear again.

City of Secrets

In November 2006, Hoffman announced a fourth book entitled City of Secrets planned for July 7, 2008 (U.K.) to be set in the fictitious city of Padavia (Renaissance Padua). ^[2]

City of Secrets continues the story of Luciano and Arianna as Luciano goes to study at a university in Padavia. Another Stravagante from the modern world appears, a dyslexic but extremely intelligent young man named Matt, whose talisman happens to be a book. Transported to the Scriptorium of Padavia University, Matt meets Luciano, who is studying at the university, and Arianna, who is secretly visiting Luciano while disguised as a boy. Together, they must fight the di Chimici, who are dangerously on the verge of making a breakthrough into the modern world.

City of Ships

Mary Hoffman has anounced that City of Ships, the next book in the series, will be available in 2010.

Characters

Lucien Mulholland

The protagonist of City of Masks, Lucien is recovering from a brain tumour when he receives his talisman, a marbled notebook from his father. Upon travelling to Bellezza, he becomes a close friend of Arianna Gasparini and apprenticed to the Stravaganti, Rodolfo Rossi. However, with his arrival in the city, he soon becomes involved with more political matters relating to Silva, the imperious Duchessa of Bellezza. He plays a key supporting role in subsequent books and takes on the name "Luciano Crinamorte" as a resident of Talia.

Georgia O'Grady

The protagonist of City of Stars, Georgia is a withdrawn girl who lives with her mother, stepfather, and an abusive stepbrother. She loves horse back riding and obtains a small winged horse sculpture from an antique shop, which turns out to be a talisman. She arrives in the city of Remora and becomes involved in the Stellata, a significant horse race, as well as developing a complicated friendship with Falco di Chimici, a crippled prince of the most powerful family in Talia. Because of her unfeminine features, Georgia is mistaken as a boy and ends up accepting the name "Giorgio Gredi" as a disguise in Talia. She plays a supporting role in subsequent books.

Sky Meadows

The protagonist of City of Flowers, Sky is the quiet biracial son of an aromatherapist single mother recovering from mononucleiosis. After acquiring a small perfume bottle as a talisman, he is transported to Giglia, the political stronghold of the di Chimici family, during a series of weddings for the illustrious clan in which Arianna, as the new Duchessa of Bellezza, is an honoured guest. He is entangled into a series of complex relationships both in and out of Talia, particularly issues regarding his absentee father, a rock star named Rainbow Warrior. In Talia, Sky is known as "Celestino Pascoli", less formally "Brother Tino", as he adopts a disguise of a Francescan novice monk.

Cities

Talia, the primary setting for the Stravaganza series, is the equivalent of Italy during the 16th century in our world. The country composes of twelve city states, each which have their own rough equivalents in this world, and appellations referring a unique quality of the city.

Half of these city-states are under the political control of members of di Chimici family, whose strongholds lie in Giglia and Remora, which is also home to a di Chimici Pope. The few cities which remain are either still negotiating political treaties with the di Chimici (Montemurato and Classe), or remain independent (Bellezza, Romula, Padavia, and Cittanuova).

Information taken from the Stravaganza website.

References

1. ^ Confirmation of City of Secrets
2. ^ Confirmation of City of Secrets

External links

• Mary Hoffman website
• Stravaganza's official website

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