Pescara : Novelli

In a richly decorated hall of a Milanese palace, a young duke wrestles with the staggering sums required to finish an ambitious fortification. Beside him, his trusted chancellor points out the numbers, his finger tracing the endless columns of debt while the walls echo with frescoes of mythic scenes. The duke’s frustration is palpable; the weight of financing a war‑torn region threatens to crush both his authority and his people’s hunger.

A fleeting glimpse of a bright‑eyed girl offering a piece of grilled fish adds an odd, human touch to the political calculus, hinting at hidden alliances and personal motives. Their conversation drifts to the notorious figure of Pescara, whose reputation for ruthless procurement haunts the court. As whispers of secret pacts and foreign intrigues swirl, the duke finds himself caught between loyalty to his emperor and the growing pressure from ambitious rivals.

The opening sets a vivid tableau of opulent decadence, looming financial disaster, and the first tremors of a power struggle that will test the duke’s resolve and the loyalties of those around him.