In her latest novel, Sarah Dunant explores the life of Italian aristocrat Isabella d’Este, the archetypal Renaissance woman

Isabella d’Este, Marchioness of Mantua, bargained, cajoled and went behind her family’s back to get what she desired. Meet 16th-century Italy’s most formidable collector

“Hands of Saint Dominic” by Albrecht Dürer, 1506; ...

Serial part 1

Stranded on a Moroccan mountain, Jane Johnson thought she was going to die. But one random phone call changed everything. Here the Cornish author reflects on an unlikely but lasting love story

Once a quiet fishing village west of Lisbon, Cascais became an unlikely hive of activity during the Second World War, attracting regal refugees and intelligence operatives in equal measure. Russell Higham investigates its enduring glamour–and its connection to Casino Royale