To the casual observer, Battista della Paglia is an avid art collector, or perhaps a nimble thief. In reality, the cunning Italian is an agent for Francois, the King of France, for whom he procures the greatest masterpieces of the day by any means necessary. Embroiled in a power struggle with Charles V, the King of Spain, Francois resolves to rule Europe's burgeoning cultural world. When he sets his sights on a mysterious sculpture, Battista's search...