Gian Battista di San Martino: Cosima's Married Lover and Family Lawyer

Overview

Gian Battista di San Martino is the aging family attorney and secret married lover of Cosima Saverio in Danielle Steel's Palazzo. A man trapped between duty and desire, his long-term affair with Cosima is complicated by his unbreakable marriage, his Vatican-connected family, and his own sense of honor. When he dies of stomach cancer near the novel's midpoint, his absence forces Cosima to confront her hidden relationship and ultimately move forward with a new love. This character analysis explores his biography, motivations, key decisions, relationships, and thematic significance.

Plot Role

Gian Battista serves as Cosima's emotional anchor and the primary obstacle to her romantic future. As the family lawyer, he advised her after her parents' death, helped her take over the business, and became her confidant and lover. He appears in person only in Chapters 3 and 11, but his presence haunts Cosima's thoughts throughout the novel. His death in Chapter 12 removes the barrier that kept Cosima from fully committing to Olivier Bayard, making him a catalyst for the story's resolution. He also functions as a symbol of the past that Cosima must finally release.

Motivations and Traits

Gian Battista's defining trait is his capacity for self-sacrifice born from a rigid sense of honor. He loves Cosima deeply but refuses to divorce his wife because his family – including a cardinal uncle and a bishop brother – is closely tied to the Vatican; divorce would bring disgrace. He also believes that his affair is "robbing her of her youth and her future" (Chapter 3). Three years before his death, at age 68, he ends the physical aspect of their relationship, insisting on a chaste friendship so Cosima can find a partner her own age and have children. This decision reveals both his love and his paternalistic sense of responsibility.

Evidence in Chapter 3 shows he waited three years after Cosima's parents died to declare his love, and then for nine years they had a passionate affair before he imposed chastity. His motivation is explicitly stated: he wants her to "marry, and have children" (Chapter 3). In Chapter 11, during their final lunch, he tells her "memories are enough" – a philosophy he lives by as he approaches death. He hides his terminal cancer, choosing to say a gentle goodbye without burdening her with his illness.

Traits: Honor-bound, loving but conflicted, paternal, emotionally restrained, dignified in decline. He is described as "handsome as ever" at 72 (Chapter 3), someone with "the aura of power about him" who moves discreetly to avoid attention.

Chronological Arc

Gian Battista's arc is compressed but decisive:

• Chapter 1 (background): Cosima recalls that he helped her settle her parents' estate; his role begins as lawyer.
• Chapter 3: The reader learns the full history of the affair: the nine-year passionate phase, the three-year chaste phase, and the current modus vivendi where they meet secretly for stolen moments. He refuses to go upstairs with her, reinforcing his resolve.
• Chapter 8: Olivier senses "an unspoken intimacy" when Cosima mentions Gian Battista's name; the lawyer becomes a ghostly presence between them.
• Chapter 11: Gian Battista and Cosima have their final lunch. He looks tired, says he loves her, and tells her memories are enough. After she leaves, he walks away crying – an indication he knows death is near.
• Chapter 12: Two days later, Cosima learns he has died of stomach cancer. She realizes he had said goodbye. At his state funeral, she sits in the family pew with his widow, then withdraws in grief for days. This grief eventually allows her to open up to Olivier.
• Later chapters: Cosima carries his memory but no longer feels bound by it. She quotes him: "I have my memories, that's enough" (Chapter 13). His spiritual presence is felt at her marriage to Olivier in Chapter 16.

Relationships

With Cosima

The core relationship is a secret, passionate love that evolves into a chaste, deep friendship. Gian Battista loves Cosima completely but sees himself as an obstacle to her happiness. He protects her reputation by meeting only in discreet settings. Their bond is built on years of trust and shared history; he knows her family, her business, her grief.

With his wife (unnamed)

His marriage is described as "ill suited from the start" (Chapter 3). They live separate lives under one roof, and divorce is impossible due to family and religious constraints. His wife does not know about Cosima.

With Cosima's family

He was a close friend of Alberto Saverio, Cosima's father, and acted as executor of the estate. He has known Cosima since she was young. His loyalty to the Saverio family extends beyond business, but his secret relationship with Cosima is a betrayal of that trust.

With Olivier

They never meet, but Gian Battista is aware of Olivier (whom he calls "your friend in Paris – the honorable one"). He subtly approves, asking about him during their final lunch (Chapter 11). Olivier senses Gian Battista's presence as a rival but respects Cosima's past.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme/Symbol Connections

• Family Legacy: Gian Battista's inability to divorce illustrates how family ties (to the Vatican, to his noble lineage) can imprison individuals. His marriage was arranged by families, like many aristocratic unions. Cosima's own family legacy (the Saverio business) also binds her but with more agency.

• Sacrifice: He sacrifices his own happiness and physical intimacy with Cosima for what he believes is her benefit. His final years are lonely, but he considers it a price worth paying.

• Betrayal: The affair is a betrayal of his marriage vow and of his friendship with Cosima's father, though the novel presents it sympathetically. Gian Battista himself feels the guilt, as shown by his secrecy.

• Redemption: Through his death, Gian Battista is redeemed in Cosima's memory – she forgives him for the secrecy and holds only love. His absence also redeems Cosima from the past, allowing her a fresh start.

• Letting Go of the Past: Gian Battista himself preaches this: "If you have the memories, you have them forever. They never leave you" (Chapter 11). His own death becomes the final lesson. Cosima must let go of him to embrace Olivier and the future.

5 Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does Gian Battista refuse to divorce his wife even though he loves Cosima?
   Answer: His family is closely tied to the Vatican (his uncle is a cardinal, his brother a bishop). Divorce would bring disgrace to his family and his wife would never agree. He tells Cosima from the beginning that divorce is "never going to be possible for him" (Chapter 3).

2. How does Gian Battista's relationship with Cosima change three years before his death?
   Answer: He ends the physical aspect of their affair, insisting on a chaste relationship. He says he wants her to find someone her own age and have children, and that he is "robbing her of her youth and her future" (Chapter 3). They continue to meet but only for stolen kisses and conversation.

3. What does Gian Battista say to Cosima during their final lunch in Chapter 11?
   Answer: He tells her openly that he loves her, says "memories are enough," and expresses pride in her. He asks about Olivier and seems to approve. He does not reveal his illness.

4. How does Cosima learn of Gian Battista's death?
   Answer: Two days after their final lunch, she receives word that he died of stomach cancer. She realizes his goodbye was intentional. His widow invites Cosima and Allegra to sit in the family pew at the state funeral (Chapter 12).

5. How does Gian Battista's death affect Cosima's ability to move on with Olivier?
   Answer: His death removes the emotional barrier. For days Cosima grieves, then she tells Olivier the truth about the affair. For the first time, she feels "free of the love that had devoured her for fifteen years" (Chapter 12). She becomes physically intimate with Olivier, signaling a new chapter.

Conclusion

Gian Battista di San Martino is a tragic figure of hidden depths: a man of honor who sacrifices his own desires for the woman he loves. His role as a shadowy lover and wise counselor makes him central to Cosima's journey. Though he dies early in the novel, his influence shapes her choices until the very end. Through him, Palazzo explores how love can persist in impossible circumstances, and how letting go – even of the most cherished secrets – is essential for renewal.

For a deeper understanding of the novel's ending and themes, explore the ending explained, the themes of betrayal and redemption, and a complete list of questions and answers. Return to the main book page for an overview.