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mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

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Mistress <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Vatican<br />

to find that sometimes a cardinal’s palace would bear one coat <strong>of</strong> arms<br />

as <strong>the</strong> sun went down and <strong>the</strong> rival coat <strong>of</strong> arms when it rose. As word<br />

spread, people would ga<strong>the</strong>r to point fingers at <strong>the</strong> new coat <strong>of</strong> arms<br />

over <strong>the</strong> cardinal’s door and laugh.<br />

Such was <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> Cardinal Virginio Orsini, who, according to<br />

Teodoro Amayden’s newsletter <strong>of</strong> August 1647, “was a Spaniard and on<br />

his palace he had <strong>the</strong> arms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Catholic King. When his son died he<br />

became a Frenchman and shortly afterwards a Spaniard once more; at<br />

present he is French again—for how long no one knows.” 16<br />

One day Cardinal Mario Teodoli went to Teodoro Amayden lamenting<br />

that he had never received anything from Spain and had large debts<br />

to pay. France was <strong>of</strong>fering him a generous subsidy if he would place<br />

himself in <strong>the</strong> French camp. The fiercely pro-Spanish Amayden met<br />

with <strong>the</strong> top Spanish cardinal, Gil Alvarez Carillo de Albornoz, to see<br />

if something could be done, but Spain, alas, could not afford it. Cardinal<br />

Teodoli said, “Since <strong>the</strong> Spaniards don’t want to help me, I have<br />

gone into <strong>the</strong> camp <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> French, though reluctantly.” 17<br />

The rivalry <strong>of</strong> France and Spain had so infiltrated Roman society<br />

that even clothing reflected one’s preference. Women showed <strong>the</strong>ir support<br />

for France or Spain by <strong>the</strong> side on which <strong>the</strong>y wore <strong>the</strong>ir hair ribbons—on<br />

<strong>the</strong> right <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> head for Spain, on <strong>the</strong> left for France. Men<br />

showed <strong>the</strong>ir allegiance by <strong>the</strong> color <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir stockings—red for France,<br />

white for Spain. The position <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fea<strong>the</strong>rs in <strong>the</strong>ir hats was also indicative<br />

<strong>of</strong> political preference—right for Spain, left for France. Even<br />

<strong>the</strong> cut <strong>of</strong> one’s beard had a huge political significance. Cardinal Teodoli<br />

first signaled his approaching shift into <strong>the</strong> French camp by wearing<br />

his beard in <strong>the</strong> clipped, pointed French style. Sure enough, a few days<br />

later his palace bore <strong>the</strong> French coat <strong>of</strong> arms.<br />

Openly advertising one’s allegiance in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> stockings and<br />

beards <strong>of</strong>ten resulted in tumults in <strong>the</strong> street. Men wearing red stockings,<br />

for instance, might attack a group wearing white stockings, which<br />

sometimes resulted in murder and days <strong>of</strong> riots. Some men chose black<br />

stockings simply to avoid being assaulted <strong>the</strong> moment <strong>the</strong>y went out<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir doors.<br />

It was not known whe<strong>the</strong>r Olimpia was pro-French or pro-Spanish,<br />

[ 113 ]

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