The Castle of Otranto

Published in 1764, this novel is set in a medieval Italian castle where Manfred, the usurping prince, tries to secure his line after a giant helmet crushes his son on the youth's wedding day. He pursues Isabella, the intended bride, while Theodore, a young man of mysterious birth, and the virtuous Matilda are drawn into the household's panic. Prophecies, portraits, and supernatural portents press on a plot of forced marriage and disputed inheritance. The book is a gothic romance of usurpation, not a historical chronicle of Apulia.

Quarter bound in black cloth, gilt blocked pattern on spine, hand marbled paper boards by Ingeborg Börjeson. Dark green endleaves. Page tops stained dark green. Grey textured slipcase.