The Duke, the Girl and the Ermine

A short story

An intriguing and poignant tale of love, loss, and the struggle for power in Renaissance Italy

Following her mother's death, Cecilia Gallerani, a talented and beautiful young musician had spent most of her life within the cloistered walls of a convent in Florence. However, at the age of sixteen, all of that was to change.

In 1489, at the court of the Medici in Florence, whilst taking part in a performance, she came to the notice of Ludovico Sforza, the powerful Duke of Milan, who insisted that her father bring her to his court.

Within only a few months, she was taken from seclusion into the overwhelming splendour and intrigue of the Milanese court. Whilst there, she would be swept into a scandalous and dangerous liaison that would change her life forever.