At 30, Zeno's father dies, and he realizes that his youth is almost over. Meeting Giovanni Malfenti, a succesful gallery owner with four daughters, he's impressed by Malfenti's energy, and falls in love with one of his daughters. This relationship helps Zeno find peace and direction.

Father Matteo Ricci, Jesuit, mathematician, geographer, and musician, chose to become a missionary in China. He was the first Westerner to whom the emperor granted permission to be buried on Chinese soil.