Rome

In the 1890s, young French priest Abbé Pierre Froment arrives in Rome with a manuscript that threatens his career, envisioning a Catholic Church in harmony with modern science and social justice. As he navigates the complexities of the city—filled with opulent ruins, scheming cardinals, and struggling citizens—he stays with the Boccanera family, embroiled in their own decline and secrets. Awaiting his audience, Pierre confronts not only the challenges to his manuscript but also a profound transformation of his beliefs, set against the backdrop of a city rich in both faith and intrigue. This first volume of Émile Zola's trilogy, Three Cities, delves into the tumultuous intersection of religion and modernity in the Eternal City.