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The novel is set in the Lepine territory, in the castrum of Acquapuzza, also known as Acqua putrida, during the 12th century. Placed halfway between Sermoneta and Sezze, in the place, precisely, where the ancient road, which in the Middle Ages led to Naples, comes to be narrowed between a cliff and the quagmire formed by the copious sulfur springs. In this picturesque place there once stood a small castle overlooking it. It was this formed by a beautiful round tower, overhanging almost the cliff, and on the nearby plateau stood a few houses now totally destroyed. Place that soon became an important strategic point, because it effectively barred access to the papal states from the Terracina side. For this reason the Church was very jealous of this fortress and wanted to maintain effective possession of it at all times.Being located, however, on the borders between the territories of Sezze and Sermoneta, which often quarreled with each other, it was the scene of continuous warfare and bloody conflicts. In the mid-12th century, Adenolfo was its feudal lord. Soon Adenolfo's very young and beautiful daughter was requested in marriage by Roberto Frangipane, and so it is that the plot of the present historical novel becomes compelling and full of twists and turns. Oddolina, suffering the anguish of her mother-in-law is accused of adultery and locked up in the tower.
