A beautifully illustrated story of the Queen of Flowers and its enduring power in our gardens, art, religion, and imagination.

The rose brims with meaning. Over the centuries, it has come to represent love and sexuality, deceit, death, and the mystical unknown. Today, the rose enjoys unparalleled popularity worldwide, present at significant moments of life.

Cultivated in the Middle East two thousand years ago for its pleasant fragrance and medicinal properties, it has become one of the most beloved flowers across all cultures, now chosen by us. The rose has the ability to enchant the human heart. From Shakespeare's sonnets to Rhodope in Bulgaria and the growing rose trade in Africa and the Far East, through museums, haute couture, Victorian England, and Belle Époque France, we encounter an astonishing variety of species and hybrids of different origins.

This is the story of a hardy, thorny flower and how, with its beauty and charm, it has captivated the world.

Pages: 304, Year of Publication: 0105, Dimensions: 15.3x15.3cm