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Francesco's Mediterranean

In the wake of his ancestor, the explorer Alvise da Mosto, Francesco sets sail on the Black Swan, a late nineteenth-century schooner, to experience the Mediterranean - setting off from Venice, his birthplace and home, across the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean seas to discover the cities and islands where Western civilisation was born, surveying the places and stories of over 500 years of Venetian history in the region and visiting places that have more recently undergone major changes like the new states of the former Yugoslavia.

His journey takes in spectacular ancient Greek and Roman ruins; the breathtakingly beautiful islands of Corfu and Santorini; sacred sites like the monasteries of Meteora and Patmos as well as stunning Ottoman mosques. Francesco also describes the artistic and architectural treasures of the places he visits and brings to life their flavours, customs and histories. And by introducing us to the societies he encounters along the way he also reminds us of the threats they have so recently had to suffer as countries that still bear the scars of a region ravaged by conflict.

Beautifully illustrated with photographs by John Parker, this sumptuous book is a personal invitation to join Francesco to savour and celebrate the majesty and might of the Mediterranean. It is a fabulous fusion of history, culture and travel that will delight fans of Francesco everywhere.