Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice is a short novel about a vampire that hasn't been introduced in the previous novels. Vittorio is a vampire that keeps to himself away from the "Coven of the Articulate" in New Orleans. He doesn't know the vampires that we are already familiar with from previous books and he has no desire to know them. Vittorio is a loner and is only making himself known because the vampires in New Orleans have challenged him to write the story of his beginnings.

Vittorio is the son of wealthy landowner in an out of the way corner of Italy. He was educated in Florence of Cosimo de' Medici and also trained in the use of a heavy sword. It could be said that his life was the ideal of rich nobleman's son. However that all changes one spring.

Villages suddenly become empty, the witches disappear, and then one night a mysterious visitor comes to the castle. After the visitor leaves the castle is battened down as if in preparation for war. Vittorio's family is attacked by demon's it seems and the young man learns of the darker side of life.

He is seduced by the beautiful Ursula and brought into her world. At first he is one of the sheep and then he becomes the hunter at the Court of the Ruby Grail. Vittorio meets vampires, famous painters, historical figures, and a couple of angels in this adventure of one of the lone vampires of Anne Rice's world.