Federico da Montefeltro was the archetypal Renaissance prince: brave soldier, wise ruler, and patron of the arts. His lifelong rival, Sigismondo Pandolfo, was the foremost field commander of his day and described himself as "more wild beast than man." Yet he was also an extravagantly romantic lover and a magnificent artistic patron. Locked in the endgame of the centuries-old feud between their clans, Federico and Sigismondo epitomised the spirit of the condottieri--the entrepreneurs who added a military dimension to the explosion of new ideas at the heart of the Renaissance. This is a story of unbridled lust, treachery and murder featuring an extraordinary cast of characters who fought, poisoned, betrayed and cheated their way into an enduring legacy.--From publisher description.