Mario Farneti was born in Gubbio, Umbria, in 1950. He graduated in Political Science before becoming journalist, writer and documentarist. For a long time he lived in Fano, in Marche, where in the Seventies, he was among the founders of one of the first free television stations in his country. As the son of antique dealers, he also worked in antiques for a considerable period of his life. In the last ten years he has published various studies on his native town and has produced several television documentaries. He has lived in Rome since 1983 where he has gained extensive journalistic experience and where he works for The Vatican Television Centre. In 1989 and 1991 he ranked among the finalists of the J.R.R. International Tolkien Award for fantasy fiction. "Occidente" (The West) was placed third at the "Premio Italia 2002 " (Italy Prize) for science fiction. He published in 2003 "Attacco all'Occidente" (Attack on the West), the second episode of the Occidente saga that was placed first at the prize "Le ali della Fantasia" in 2005. He published in 2006 the third episode of the saga "Nuovo Impero d'Occidente" (New Empire of the West). In October 2009 the new novel "Imperium Solis" (The Empire of the Sun) has been published by Editrice Nord. "Gladius Imperii" (The sword of the Empire) is the second episode of the new saga. In 2010 "Imperium Solis" has placed among the five finalists at the "Premio Acqui Storia" ad "Premio Scanno".
