Daughter of Siena

The Palio
Siena’s famously dangerous and hard-fought horse race. A year of planning, ten riders, three circuits of the piazza – and all over in a single moment.


But for two women watching far more than the coveted prize is at stake. For beautiful Pia of the Tolomei the Palio is her last hope of escaping a violent marriage. For Violante de Medici, isolated in her palace, it marks the start of what her enemies intend to be her last month as Siena’s ruler.



The trumpets sound. And into the piazza rides an unknown horseman. What he does during the race will not only change the lives of Pia and Violante, but alter the course of the Medici dynasty itself…

Alive with all the colour and rich historical detail that marks Marina Fiorato’s work, Daughter of Siena is a dramatic and compelling story of treachery, courage and the power of love.