28.10.2014 Views

mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

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

Rome. They were to leave <strong>the</strong> Palazzo Farnese, owned by <strong>the</strong> inveterate<br />

enemy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> papacy, <strong>the</strong> duke <strong>of</strong> Parma, and move to <strong>the</strong> princess’s<br />

Palazzo Aldobrandini on <strong>the</strong> Corso. They were not to involve <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

in any important matters. Camillo, who had earlier tried to have<br />

Olimpia locked up in a convent, still found himself locked up by her,<br />

this time in Rome. The revenge was exquisite.<br />

On June 28, four days after <strong>the</strong> princess’s delivery, <strong>the</strong> annual procession<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chinea took place, a magnificent pageant in which <strong>the</strong> king<br />

<strong>of</strong> Spain, through his representative, gave <strong>the</strong> pope a gorgeous white<br />

horse as symbolic payment for <strong>the</strong> realm <strong>of</strong> Naples. The horse had been<br />

trained to kneel upon command and would do so at <strong>the</strong> pope’s feet as a<br />

sign <strong>of</strong> Spanish submission. Since <strong>the</strong>re was at <strong>the</strong> moment no Spanish<br />

ambassador to <strong>the</strong> Holy See, <strong>the</strong> king <strong>of</strong> Spain had selected Olimpia’s<br />

son-in-law, <strong>the</strong> staunchly pro-Spanish Prince Ludovisi, for <strong>the</strong> astonishing<br />

honor <strong>of</strong> leading <strong>the</strong> horse.<br />

Olimpia had never been overly fond <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fat prince, always trying to<br />

push himself into papal government and trudging around town crying<br />

that he never should have married Costanza for such a cheap dowry.<br />

And now, still licking her wounds over <strong>the</strong> birth <strong>of</strong> little Gianbattista,<br />

she was forced to watch her unappetizing son-in-law, swollen with pride<br />

on this, <strong>the</strong> greatest day <strong>of</strong> his life. Huffing and puffing, <strong>the</strong> prince<br />

marched solemnly forward holding <strong>the</strong> diamond-studded reins <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

white horse. The sweat dripped <strong>of</strong>f his red face onto his rich black velvet<br />

suit, dimming somewhat <strong>the</strong> blazing glory <strong>of</strong> his sewn-on diamonds.<br />

After <strong>the</strong> ceremony, Cardinal Giovan Battista Pallotta, a man <strong>of</strong><br />

strict morals, took Innocent aside and informed him <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dire bread<br />

shortage in Rome. Perhaps while riding in <strong>the</strong> procession that morning<br />

<strong>the</strong> cardinal had seen wretched, ragged people begging for bread, or<br />

worse, too weak to care anymore. Whatever <strong>the</strong> reason, Cardinal Pallotta<br />

flatly informed Innocent that <strong>the</strong> people <strong>of</strong> Rome were literally<br />

starving to death, and that he was furious <strong>the</strong> pontiff had done so little<br />

to help <strong>the</strong>m. With a parting swipe at Olimpia, whom he must have<br />

blamed for <strong>the</strong> fiasco, he added that he would ra<strong>the</strong>r be in a monastery<br />

obedient to a monk than in Rome under <strong>the</strong> domination <strong>of</strong> a woman.<br />

After Pallotta left, Innocent was uncertain what to do and, as usual,<br />

[ 227 ]

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!