Life assumed a familiar pattern for Alessandro, by day he attended Leonardo’s makeshift studio at Santa Maria, and by night he often found himself drinking with his new-found friends at the tavern by the castello. On other occasions, members of the mercantile class welcomed him into their homes where he was given a seat of honour at their table. More than once he found himself the object of desire from some wealthy lady whose husband was much older and spent much of his time away on business.
One such woman was Constanza Mancini, whose husband was Piero Mancini, the wealthy merchant Alessandro had worked for as a weaver. She sent a message for Alessandro to visit her home under the pretext that there was a small tear in the fabric of one of the pieces of furniture. She was an attractive w
