▁ ▁Many ▁early ▁historical ▁nov els ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁European ▁popular ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁Victor ▁Hugo ' s ▁The ▁H unch back ▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame ▁often ▁receives ▁credit ▁for ▁fuel ing ▁the ▁movement ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁Goth ic ▁architecture ▁of ▁France , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Mon uments ▁historiques , ▁the ▁French ▁government al ▁authority ▁for ▁historic ▁pres ervation . ▁R ita ▁Mon ald i ▁and ▁Francesco ▁Sort i ' s ▁historical ▁mystery ▁s aga ▁Im pr imate ur ▁Secret um ▁Ver itas ▁Myst er ium ▁has ▁increased ▁interest ▁in ▁European ▁history ▁and ▁features ▁famous ▁cas tr ato ▁opera ▁singer ▁At to ▁Mel ani ▁as ▁a ▁detect ive ▁and ▁sp y . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁story ▁itself ▁is ▁fiction , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁persona ▁and ▁events ▁are ▁not . ▁The ▁book ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁research ▁by ▁Mon ald i ▁and ▁Sort i , ▁who ▁research ed ▁information ▁from ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁manuscript s ▁and ▁published ▁works ▁concerning ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁Vienna , ▁the ▁pl ague ▁and ▁pap acy ▁of ▁Pope ▁In noc ent ▁XI . ▁ ▁The ▁genre ▁of ▁the ▁historical ▁novel ▁has ▁also ▁permitted ▁some ▁authors , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Polish ▁novel ist ▁B oles ław ▁Pr us ▁in ▁his ▁sole ▁historical ▁novel , ▁Ph ara oh , ▁to ▁distance ▁themselves ▁from ▁their ▁own ▁time ▁and ▁place ▁to ▁gain ▁perspective ▁on ▁society ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁human ▁condition , ▁or ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁dep