The Conquest of Rome by Matilde Serao

The Conquest of Rome (1885) On the train bringing him to the capital from the deep South, the newly-elected deputy Francesco Sangiorgio dreams of a glittering future in Rome. To his disappointment the Eternal City greets the young man's ambition with indifference, but step by imperceptible step, Sangiorgio makes his mark on his parliamentary colleagues, and establishes a place in high society. But his fate is sealed when he falls under the sway of the enigmatic Angelica Vargas, and the 'conquest of Rome' that was within his grasp seems tantalisingly to slip away. The readability of this contemporary translation contributed significantly to Serao's growing reputation among the reading public of Victorian England.