The Viper of Milan – A Dark Tale of Power, Betrayal, and Revenge in Medieval Italy Discover the captivating tale of love, ambition, and betrayal in Marjorie Bowen's enduring masterpiece, The Viper of Milan. Written at the age of sixteen, the novel was rejected by numerous publishers before becoming a best seller. Set in mid-14th-century Lombardy, the book centers on a power struggle between Mastino della Scala, Duke of Verona, and Gian Galeazzo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan. Visconti is busy establishing alliances and expanding his territories in Northern Italy when captures Isotta d'Este of Ferrara, the wife of della Scalla,. Visconti's unrelenting invasion of northern Italy appears to be unstoppable but della Scala vows to reclaim his lost territories and free Isotta from captivity. An unmissable read for fans of gothic historical fiction, this dark, fast-paced classic is filled with political intrigue, vengeance and dramatic twists.