THE LEGEND OF SERICA

In the mid-sixth century, the Byzantine emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora set out to discover the secret of silk, a fabric so coveted and prized that its price exceeded that of gold itself. No one knew whether it was of animal or plant origin, since the emperor of the country where it was produced (Serica) punished with death anyone who trafficked or transmitted any knowledge or products related to its production. To this end, in 552 AD, two women (Nestorian Christian nuns) and a man (imperial guard) left Byzantium carrying enough wealth to buy souls. The emperors had entrusted them with the secret mission of obtaining the seeds and the mystery of silk. Their intention was to cross the Byzantine and Persian empires, to enter the lands of Zonguo (present-day China).

Adventure, love, jealousy, mystery, life, death, knowledge—all this and more—come together in an impressive journey through the three most important empires of antiquity. In this intense work, various values ​​and cowardices of society, very relevant today (gender equality, culture, machismo, homosexuality, racism, etc.), are explored without losing the sense of humor and irony, which are intertwined with the same harshness of life and the insignificance attributed to death.

"Whoever possesses the knowledge of silk will hold in their hands the greatest treasure in the world."

Theodora of Byzantium (497-548)