Rafael Sabatini penned the historical novel Bellarion the Fortunate. The story opens with Bellarion, a young man who was abandoned as a child and educated in an abbey, leaving with a letter of introduction from the revered abbot and plans to attend Pavia University. He meets and travels with a Franciscan friar but learns that his money and letter have been stolen. As he arrives at Casale, the state's capital, he discovers that he is being sought by the authorities. He runs away till he arrives at a palace, where he enters via a garden entrance that, to his surprise, is unlocked. A stunning woman welcomes him inside, locks the door, and makes an effort to hide him from his assailants. Later, the plot follows Bellarion's career as he grows to be Facino Cane's loyal and true son and, after Facino's death, pledges loyalty to his widow. The story takes several unexpected turns as Bellarion rises through the ranks to become a significant mercenary captain.