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 consisted of a trilogy of books: City of Masks, City of Stars, and City of Flowers. The popularity of the trilogy allowed the series to be extended for three more books: City of Secrets, City of Ships, and City of Swords.

Inspiration and Development

Mary Hoffman was originally inspired to write the Stravaganza series after a family trip to Venice and an incident involving a gondola ride. The subsequent books developed from the original idea. The country of Talia reflects Hoffman's own imagining of what Italy is like. Further inspiration of the settings for each of the books came from Hoffman's regular trips to Italy. Though the series was intended to be a trilogy, it was later expanded into six books. For continuing the series, the fourth book in the series, City of Secrets, derived from the theme of secrets and knowledge while continuing on the open-ended plot at the end of City of Flowers, where Luciano Crinamorte is due to attend university in the city of Padavia. Each book in the series introduces a new protagonist as a Stravagante, a traveler between England and the parallel world of Talia, while maintaining previously introduced characters as part of the supporting cast.

Setting

The Stravaganza series is primarily set in Talia, which is based on Italy during the Renaissance in the 16th century. Most notably, the primary antagonists in the series, the di Chimici family, were inspired by the de Medici family. In the series, it is established that a number of differences exist between Talia and Italy in the 16th century in both historical, religious, and scientific ways. The existence of Talia parallels the contemporary 21st century world of England, which serves as a secondary setting and the origin of the protagonists of each book in the series. Individuals capable of moving between worlds are known as Stravaganti; a Stravagante's ability to move between worlds is facilitated by a talisman, an object that originally came from the world opposite to the traveler's own world. The country of Talia comprises twelve city-states, each which have their own 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 the di Chimici family, whose strongholds lie in Giglia and in Remora, which is also home to a di Chimici Pope. The few cities which remain outside di Chimici control are either still negotiating political treaties with the di Chimici (Montemurato), or remain independent (Bellezza, Classe, Romula, Padavia, and Cittanuova).

City-States

Stravaganza Publications

City of Masks

Lucien Mulholland, a teenager recovering from chemotherapy, is given a red and purple marbled notebook by his father 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 and the mysterious Rodolfo Rossi. Rodolfo is a Stravagante, a traveller 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 bullied by her stepbrother, Russell. Her only escape is to go horse 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 Twelfth place their hopes in the birth of a special horse in the Twelfth of the Ram, one that may actually bring about the luck the twelfth needs to break their losing streak. The di Chimici family (antagonists in the first book) intend 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. Lucien, the protagonist of the first book, now known as Luciano and living as a full-time resident of Bellezza — as well as other important supporting characters, such as Silvia (the old Duchessa), Rodolfo, and Arianna, appear again.

City of Flowers

Sky Meadows, a teenager whose mother is recovering from a longtime illness, 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 his hand. He awakes in Giglia (the Talian version of Florence) where the pharmacist-friar and Stravagante Sulien is waiting for him. Sky, given the name Celestino Pascoli, 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, Georgia, Falco di Chimici (now Nicholas Duke, foster-son of the Mulhollands), and other important characters from the previous books appear again, such as Silvia, and Rodolfo.

City of Secrets

The City of Secrets continues the story of Luciano and Arianna as Luciano goes to study at a university in Padavia (the Talian version of Padua). 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, where Matt works as a printer of forbidden texts under the guidance of the Stravagante Constantin, who is known amongst the public as a professor of Rhetoric at the university. During his visits, Matt meets Luciano, who is studying at the university, and Arianna, who is secretly visiting Luciano while disguised as a boy. However, insecurities regarding his ability to read puts on a strain on Matt's life and the discovery of other Stravaganti in his world result in more trouble than Matt can deal with. Meanwhile, the di Chimici continue their attempts to unify northern Talia under their rule and attempt to convince the ruler of Padavia to enforce new rules against occult practices that the di Chimici will hope to single out the Stravaganti. Both Matt and Luciano, who remains the object of the di Chimici grudge after the death of Duke Niccolò, find themselves in terrible peril, especially as the di Chimici are verge of making a dangerous breakthrough into the modern world.

City of Ships

Isabel, nicknamed "Bel", is the younger twin by ten minutes and has spent her entire life in the shadow of her brother Charlie, who is naturally more talented than she is at anything and is genuinely nice. Unable to compare to her brother, Isabel avoids drawing attention to herself and concentrates on her only unique talent: art. However, when she is transported to the Talian city of Classe (the Talian version of Ravenna) with a tesserae mosaic fragment, she finds herself in a world with mosaics, pirates, and traders. As the city prepares for an attack from the Gate people from the east, Isabel finds that she is a crucial element for defending the city and realizes the opportunity to finally find her true strengths and impress her brother.

City of Swords

Desperately unhappy, Laura has resorted to secretly self-harming. But Laura is a Stravagante, somebody who can travel in time and space. When she finds her talisman, a small silver dagger, she stravagates with it to sixteenth-century Fortezza, a town similar to Lucca in Italy, where she meets her Stravagante, who is a swordsmith. But Laura also meets the charming and attractive Ludo, and falls for him. Their love for each other is tested when Ludo lays claim to the crown of Fortezza, and Laura finds herself fighting on the side of the Stravaganti opposing him... A thrilling tale filled with battles on the field and battles of the heart, which finishes with a long-awaited wedding between two much loved characters.

Characters

Characters are grouped according to geographical association, either by the city-state they are primarily associated with or where the character's first appearance in the series occurred.

Bellezza

Lucien Mulholland (Luciano Crinamorte) Arianna Gasparini (Arianna Rossi) Rodolfo Rossi Silvia Bellini (Silvia Rossi) William Dethridge (Gugliemo Crinamorte) Leonora Gasparini (Leonora Crinamorte)

Remora

Georgia O'Grady Paolo Montalbani Cesare Montalbani Falco di Chimici (Nicholas "Nick" Duke) Gaetano di Chimici Ferdinando di Chimici (Pope Lenient VI)

Giglia

Sky Meadows Niccolò di Chimici Sandro Sulien Fabriano Giuditta Miele Fabrizio di Chimici

Padavia

Matt Wood Professore Constantin

Classe

Isabel Evans Flavia Andrea Filippo Nucci Beatrice di Chimici Germano Mariano

Fortezza

Laura Reid Fabio della Spada Ludovico Vivoide Lucia di Chimici Guido Parola Jacopo the Elder

Other Talians

Enrico Poggi Rinaldo di Chimici Francesca di Chimici Aurelio and Raffaella Vivoide

England

Vicky and David Mulholland Alice Greaves Mortimer Goldsmith Ayesha Charlie Evans

Reception