Ildefonso Falcones (boxed set with: The Cathedral of the Sea | The Heirs of the Earth)

This box set brings together two of the greatest works of historical fiction: Cathedral of the Sea and its sequel, The Heirs of the Earth, by Ildefonso Falcones.

Cathedral of the Sea

Barcelona, 14th century. The city is at its peak of prosperity; it has grown towards La Ribera, the humble fishermen's quarter, whose inhabitants decide to build, with the money of some and the effort of others, the greatest Marian temple ever known: Santa María de la Mar. A construction that runs parallel to the eventful story of Arnau, a serf of the land who flees the abuses of his feudal lord and takes refuge in Barcelona, where he becomes a citizen and, with it, a free man.

Young Arnau works as a stableman, stevedore, soldier, and moneychanger. An exhausting life, always under the protection of the cathedral of the sea, which would lead him from the misery of a fugitive to nobility and wealth. But with this privileged position also comes the envy of his peers, who concoct a sordid plot that places his life in the hands of the Inquisition...

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The Heirs of the Earth

Barcelona, 1387. The bells of the Church of Santa María de la Mar still ring for all the inhabitants of the Ribera quarter, but one of them listens to their chime with special attention... Hugo Llor, the son of a deceased sailor, at twelve years old works in the shipyards thanks to the generosity of one of the most esteemed prominent men in the city: Arnau Estanyol. But his youthful dreams of becoming a shipbuilder will collide with a harsh and ruthless reality when the Puig family, his mentor's sworn enemy, takes advantage of their position with the new king to execute a revenge they had been nurturing for years.

From that moment on, Hugo's life oscillates between his loyalty to Bernat, Arnau's friend and only son, and the need to survive in a city unjust to the poor. Forced to leave the Ribera quarter, he seeks work with Mahir, a Jew who teaches him the secrets of the wine world. With him, among vineyards, barrels, and stills, the boy discovers a passion for the land while also meeting Dolça, the beautiful niece of the Jew, who will become his first love. But this feeling, forbidden by customs and religion, will provide him with the sweetest and bitterest moments of his youth.