Romola

First published in serial form through the Cornhill Magazine in 1862, Romola is a historical novel set in Florence amidst the turmoil of the Renaissance. The plot centres on the fortunes of Tito Melema, a Greek-Italian scholar who yearns for the eponymous Romola but instead finds himself married to Tessa in a mock ceremony. The lives of this romantic triangle are buffeted by events in Florence, notably the fervour surrounding Savoranola, the charismatic and pious preacher whose sermons against the Church doomed himself and his followers. While Romola was less well received than previous novels, Eliot herself thought it her best work. She spent eighteen months researching the background and laboured intensely to create the necessary detail. Subsequently, critics have noted the craft and control with which Eliot built the plot and Romola is considered by some to be her best work.