mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

Mistress of the Vatican
of her sickbed and had herself carried—gouty toe and all—to the Quirinal
to hear the verdict. The pope had decided to remove Cardinal Astalli-Pamphili
from all honors, incomes, benefices, and titles except that
of cardinal, to take away his permission to use the Pamphili name and
coat of arms, to take away his use of Bel Respiro and the Pamphili Palace,
and to exile him immediately.
Gigli explained that Olimpia, “with her usual dexterity, placidly told
him that His Holiness, having exalted a stranger to such extraordinary
greatness, and told him the most intimate secrets of his heart, was faced
with treachery . . . and he would do his best in the following conclave to
ruin the exalted house of Pamphili.” 18
At 11 a.m. the pope sent instructions to Cardinal Astalli-Pamphili to
clear out of the papal palace and go into exile at his family castle of
Sambuci, thirty miles outside Rome. He would not be permitted to take
any furniture with him. When Cardinal Chigi heard the news, he was
horrified by the scandal it would bring to the church. Twice he went to
implore the pope to reconsider, but Innocent impatiently shooed him
away.
At 9 p.m. the former cardinal nephew stepped into his carriage and
departed Rome. His servants—except his secretary, who had wisely
burned his letters and fled—were imprisoned and questioned under
torture. All those in Rome who had proudly posted the cardinal’s arms
above their doors had to take them down that very night.
On February 18, Olimpia’s niece Caterina Maidalchini, married to
Cardinal Astalli’s brother, tried desperately to see her aunt. Having
been sent away once by the butler, Caterina tried again and this time
forced her way in, shrieking that Olimpia must help her. Hearing the
ruckus, Olimpia rustled to the top of the triumphal staircase leading to
the courtyard and looked down at the young woman coldly. “And now
finally this cardinal padrone is finished!” she cried. 19 It would be best for
the Astallis, she continued, if they left Rome. If they lived in the same
bitter exile to which Cardinal Astalli had condemned her. Caterina
staggered out crying, and Olimpia swept back to her rooms. Revenge
was sweet.
Cardinal Astalli’s bonds in the amount of forty thousand scudi were
[ 341 ]