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, The Sibyl.
He shares his historical research on The Historical Novelist and Instagram.
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 |: 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.
