mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

Eleanor Herman
The people milling around the Piazza Navona admiring the carriages
of the wedding guests stopped talking and listened intently. The
bride then swore that she would not unlock her door until Maffeo Barberini
went home without her. Olimpia had never imagined that her
moment of greatest triumph—the union of the Pamphilis and Barberinis
that she had planned for nine years—would be spoiled by the
stubbornness of a twelve-year-old.
The humiliated groom hung around disconsolately, not knowing
what to do. Finally, Olimpia persuaded him to go home. She had raised
Olimpiuccia from birth and knew her better than anyone; she would
talk to her and bring her to his palace the following day. But now Olimpiuccia
proved herself to be Olimpia’s granddaughter and vowed to use
church law against the fate concocted for her. Since in the eyes of the
church a marriage was no marriage until consummation, she knew that
she was, technically, not married. If she held out long enough, embarrassed
the Barberinis long enough, perhaps they would annul the contract
and she could get out of the whole thing.
To a great extent Olimpiuccia’s behavior was the fault of her grandmother,
who had raised her to be brash and strong in a world that endeavored
to crush weak females. Teodoro Amayden informed his readers
that Olimpia had told the child again and again, “Olimpiuccia, never let
anyone underestimate you! You must be the boss of everything.” 14 Little
had Olimpia considered that this lesson would be used against herself.
Days turned into weeks, then months. Messengers galloped back and
forth between the Piazza Navona and the Barberini Palace. Maffeo
visited periodically, hoping that his bride would get used to him. Olimpia
convinced her granddaughter to permit Maffeo to hold her hand
and give her a little kiss, but that was all she could get out of her.
Surely it helped Maffeo’s marital humiliation to be treated as a reigning
prince; ambassadors called on the new “nephew,” bowing and offering
him rich gifts. Whenever he visited a noble palazzo, the bells pealed
in celebration. Yet his hold on the title of papal lay nephew was tenuous
because the marriage had not yet been consummated.
Olimpia tried to cajole Olimpiuccia to join her husband and, mistakenly
thinking she was speaking to a younger version of herself, raved
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