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mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

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Eleanor Herman<br />

One <strong>of</strong> Olimpia’s first acts delighted her family. She convinced <strong>the</strong><br />

pope to give Prince Ludovisi 100,000 scudi from <strong>the</strong> papal treasury, <strong>the</strong><br />

dowry he should have received back in 1644 for marrying Costanza<br />

Pamphili. For decades <strong>the</strong> going rate for a papal niece had been 100,000<br />

scudi, and he had only received 20,000. Now <strong>the</strong> fat prince could no<br />

longer berate his wife for her lack <strong>of</strong> dowry or tromp around Rome<br />

complaining <strong>of</strong> his bad bargain, which must have gladdened Costanza<br />

more than <strong>the</strong> cash itself. He used this money to buy a palace and began<br />

to incorporate <strong>the</strong> houses next door into it.<br />

Once more, Olimpia’s carriage rumbled up to <strong>the</strong> Quirinal, where<br />

she emerged carrying a stack <strong>of</strong> petitions for <strong>the</strong> pope to sign. Once<br />

again <strong>the</strong> Piazza Navona was crammed with <strong>the</strong> carriages <strong>of</strong> cardinals<br />

and ambassadors whom she received like an empress, surrounded by a<br />

bevy <strong>of</strong> noblewomen waiting on her. The ambassador <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Venetian<br />

republic traveled to <strong>the</strong> Piazza Navona in great pomp to beg Olimpia’s<br />

assistance in convincing <strong>the</strong> pope to help Venice fight <strong>the</strong> Turks.<br />

She received everyone graciously except Monsignor Melzi, <strong>the</strong> nuncio<br />

to Vienna who had helped topple her in 1650 by telling Innocent<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> emperor’s comment, that <strong>the</strong> shame <strong>of</strong> Christendom was a pope<br />

who “has placed his government in <strong>the</strong> hands <strong>of</strong> a woman about<br />

whom all <strong>the</strong> heretics are laughing.” 7 As a peace <strong>of</strong>fering, Nuncio<br />

Melzi sent Olimpia two beautiful scent bottles filled with rare perfume.<br />

To no avail. He was her enemy and would never be forgiven.<br />

But she kept <strong>the</strong> perfume.<br />

In addition to <strong>the</strong> old enemies, <strong>the</strong>re was a new one. Cardinal Chigi,<br />

though always polite to Olimpia, was furious about her regained power.<br />

Upon her return, Olimpia had immediately tried to win him over, but<br />

he remained adamantly impartial, polite but reserved, and never discussed<br />

state or church business with her. He returned <strong>the</strong> expensive<br />

gifts she sent him with an apologetic note, and sent her strange presents<br />

<strong>of</strong> soap and capons, not <strong>the</strong> usual gold, silver, and diamonds she was<br />

used to.<br />

Despite his careful courtesy toward Olimpia, Chigi couldn’t bear to<br />

see how even <strong>the</strong> greatest cardinals bowed and scraped before her at<br />

public events, and one day he lost his temper with <strong>the</strong>m. “You should<br />

[ 318 ]

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