Between 1300 and 1600, Venus and her arts of love charmed the citizens of Florence. Among the soft violets, pinks, and blues of dusk and dawn, her bright star twinkled above the city. Her presence graced festive celebrations, when silk dresses hand-stitched with gold and pearls rustled in corridors and fragrant perfumes infused with citrus, jasmine, and sea-spun ambergris delighted the sense of smell. At such events, Venus attended to laughter, dancing, and sweet songs; she inspired paintings and sculptures, garlands and wreaths. She also frequented the bedchamber, where bodies clung together on feather-stuffed mattresses, when the sight of incandescent skin, dainty fingers, curving hips, and yielding chests ignited desire. In the dark of night, her passions also broke hearts, enraged minds, and diseased bodies. For, the goddess of love also lingered in the cloying scent of betrayal and the violent penetration of rape.