Why a Booktrail?
A priceless Titian masterpiece. A sumptuous French chateau with a deadly secret. And a mystery hidden in a Bordeaux village that will change their lives forever…
The Gypsy Madonna
What you need to know before your trail
When elegant Anouk, a dealer in American antiques, dies unexpectedly, she leaves the Metropolitan museum an uncatalogued, multimillion dollar painting by Titian. Her son, Mischa, had no idea she had even owned it and becomes determined to discover the story behind the painting.
This mystery sends him on the trail of his own history, back to the French village of his childhood. There he hopes to uncover the origins of the Gypsy Madonna; he never expects to find himself.
Lose yourself in this story of epic romance and dark mystery set against the backdrop of occupied France and post-war America.
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
America – New York
The story of art starts here with the Titian painting left in the large and very impressive Metropolitan Museum of Art. Elegant Anouk, a dealer in American antiques, working from the West Village in one of the numerous and very glamourous galleries.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met is quite the backdrop and setting for this story – described as “A grand setting for one of the world’s greatest collections of art, from ancient to contemporary.”
France – Bordeaux
Bordeaux is gothic and an art picture in its own right. This is the where the lush vineyards are located and where the gothic castles and stone buildings are which silhouette against the sunlit sky. Shadows providing the mystery in this sun-drenched place with the aroma of hope and wine in the air. Jacques Renard has said that before the war there had been coyotes and wolves in this area. It’s a part of France which was changed by war. The limestone floors of the chateau are described as being covered with rustic rugs and black dogs until the Germans came. Drive a little outside to the village of Maurillac and the world of the vineyards really comes to life with the sights, sounds and aromas that only such a warm and rustic place in rural France can bring.
The Maurillac region is just east to the city of Bordeaux and is where the wine region is located.
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: The Gypsy Madonna
Author/Guide: Santa Montefiore Destination: Bordeaux, Maurillac, New York Departure Time: WW2, 2000s
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