Its 11 September 1683, Rome. The citizens of the city wait anxiously for the outcome of the battle for Vienna as Ottoman forces lay siege to the defenders of Catholic Europe. Meanwhile, a suspected outbreak of plague causes a famous Roman tavern to be placed under quarantine.[...]
July, 1700, Rome. Atto Melani - once a celebrated castrato soprano, now a spy in the service of King Louis XIV, the Sun King - mingles with other high-ranking guests at the villa of Cardinal Spada. The main topic of conversation is the grave illness of the Pope and the approaching demise of Charles [...]
Vienna, 1711. Eleven years after the events of Secretum, and by means of a mysterious bequest, Atto Melani arranges for his faithful helper to relocate from a Roman slum to the imperial court in Vienna. Here, Atto enlists his help in a secret mission to bring about the end of the war between France [...]
In 1683, at the height of the conflict between Catholicism and Islam, Rome is a restless city. In a quarantined locanda, Atto Melani, a spy in the service of the French king, enlists the help of a young serving boy - together they will explore Rome, uncovering deadly secrets and just how far Innoc[...]