Watch over her

In an Italian monastery, a man is dying, surrounded by the silent presence of monks. For forty years he has lived among them, to watch over her. Over whom or what? And why must she be hidden? During his final hours, on the edge of memory and delirium, sculptor Mimo Vitaliani delves into the story of his life. Into the years he lived as an apprentice to a tyrannical stonemason in the Italian town of Pietra d’Alba, in the heart of the Orsini family’s estate. And above all, to the moment he met their only daughter – the untameable Viola.

Fate dealt Mimo a bad hand, but his hands hold a true talent. Viola Orsini, on the other hand, was granted almost everything by destiny. Born into a noble family, she spent her childhood in the shadow of the palace. However, she is too free-spirited and passionate, and possesses far too much ambition to be content with the role she was destined for.

Although they come from incompatible worlds, they become friends instantly. United by an oath and an unbreakable bond, they go through years full of turmoil, during which fascism is on the rise in Italy. Their paths diverge and meet again; they are alternately friends and enemies, unable to either succumb to their mutual attraction – or rid themselves of it.
Mimo eventually outwits his fate and achieves fame, but what is the point of success if he were to lose Viola?