Gerardo Manzo is an emerging novelist based in New York City. Raised near Naples among its streets and stories, he uses his academic research background to uncover the hidden world of 17th-century Baroque Naples for his debut novel.
Read My Historical Research Log
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A research log serves as a space to gather fragments, trace lost routes, and imagine the quiet spaces between recorded facts. Here, you’ll encounter Neapolitan lore, forgotten archives, Baroque rituals, and the shadows of the early 1600s. Because historical fiction isn’t just about reconstructing the past; it’s about meeting history with empathy, listening to the human heartbeat behind the dates.
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| More |: The Taste of Home (Full Interview)
The Taste of Home (Full Interview)
Novelist Gerardo Manzo traces his grandfather’s bread-and-mandarin “dessert” back to 1600s Naples, and explains why writers should start with their own roots.
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| More |: The Seven Bridges of Mercy
The Seven Bridges of Mercy
Caravaggio steps back from the frame as if moving away from a dying body he killed with his own hands, holding not a knife but a brush, leaving marks of red and yellow ocher on the stone ground.
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| More |: Drowning in His Own Dark
Drowning in His Own Dark
Vicolo del Divino Amore, 19 – 420 years later – The moment when Caravaggio left Rome
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| More |: Half Human, Half Chair
Half Human, Half Chair
From his chair, the portiere would observe a carriage approaching, drawn by a large horse and driven by the alfiere. He might look at the scene with contempt and think about his miserable 3 ducats a month.
