The Scarlet City: A Novel of 16th-Century Italy
by Hella S. Haasse
http://amazon.com/dp/0897333721
Although he bears one of the most notorious names in all of Italy, Giovanni Borgia doesn’t know his parentage. Set against the backdrop of the Italian wars, Giovanni’s agonizing quest seeks to unravel the puzzle of his true identity. Machiavelli, Vittoria Colonna, Michelangelo, the Borgias and the Medici are some of the characters who inhabit the secretive and dangerous world of 16th-century Rome.