In the twelfth century AD, Venice is little more than an agglomeration of small islands snatched from the muddy tides. In this northern backwater, a group of artisans have proven themselves to be unrivalled in an art form that produces works of such beauty that many consider it mystical in nature: glassmaking. Aware of the power they wield and the role they will play in the Venice of the future, the glassmakers inhabit a world of esoteric practices and secret knowledge. Into this world steps Edgardo D'Arduino, a cleric and a professional copyist.