Chasing the Rose

More about the book

From the author of the best-selling A Venetian Affair comes a charming chronicle of his quest to uncover the identity of a mysterious old rose. This tale transports readers to the era of Josephine Bonaparte and showcases some of Italy's most enchanting rose gardens, vividly illustrated by artist Nina Fuga. In a previous biography of his great-great-great-great-grandmother, Lucia Mocenigo, di Robilant described a wild pink rose from the family estate, noted for its light peach-and-raspberry scent. This detail led to a meeting with local rose expert Eleonora Garlant, who speculated that di Robilant's unnamed rose might be one of the long-lost China varieties cultivated by nineteenth-century European growers. As he embarks on this quest, di Robilant becomes enchanted by rose enthusiasts throughout history, from Lucia and Josephine to Eleonora, who tends a remarkable garden of nearly fifteen hundred old rose varieties. What begins as a lighthearted pursuit evolves into a profound journey, prompting di Robilant to reflect on the enduring beauty passed down through roses, shaped by nature and nurtured by humanity over centuries.