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mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

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Eleanor Herman<br />

likely that Camillo’s wife and mo<strong>the</strong>r finally agreed on one thing—that<br />

Camillo was adept at making a fool <strong>of</strong> himself.<br />

On <strong>the</strong> first day <strong>of</strong> Lent, <strong>the</strong> pope went in regal cavalcade to <strong>the</strong><br />

Church <strong>of</strong> Saint Sabina, <strong>the</strong>n headed to <strong>the</strong> Tor de’ Specchi Convent to<br />

visit Sister Agatha. But according to Gigli, when he realized he was going<br />

to pass by Cardinal Astalli’s palace, he ordered his litter-bearers to<br />

go ano<strong>the</strong>r way, “and he did this to avoid passing by <strong>the</strong> Astalli<br />

house.” 23<br />

As <strong>the</strong> pope’s strength continued to decline, Olimpia carefully examined<br />

<strong>the</strong> Sacred College to determine which members were her friends<br />

and which her enemies. She would need a strong faction within <strong>the</strong><br />

conclave to ensure <strong>the</strong> election <strong>of</strong> a pontiff who would not harm her<br />

once he climbed upon <strong>the</strong> throne. Her most frightening opponent was<br />

Cardinal Pallotta, whom she had insulted in <strong>the</strong> street back in 1648,<br />

prompting him to call her a whore.<br />

Cardinal Federico Sforza—whom she had exiled for suggesting that<br />

Cardinal Maidalchini should not open <strong>the</strong> holy door—was no friend <strong>of</strong><br />

hers, ei<strong>the</strong>r, and was always “saying very nasty things against her reputation.”<br />

24 The former datary, Cardinal Cecchini, knew that Olimpia<br />

was behind his disgrace. He would ally himself with <strong>the</strong> elderly Cardinal<br />

Vincenzo Maculano, a dear friend <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> princess <strong>of</strong> Rossano’s who<br />

hated Olimpia’s meddling in Vatican affairs with particular venom. For<br />

reasons that were personal ra<strong>the</strong>r than political, Cardinals Astalli and<br />

Maidalchini would do <strong>the</strong>ir utmost to elect a voracious enemy <strong>of</strong> Olimpia’s.<br />

O<strong>the</strong>rs who detested her as an interfering woman were Cardinals<br />

Fabrizio Savelli, Giovanni Lomellini, Lorenzo Imperiale, and Giberto<br />

Borromeo. That made ten died-in-<strong>the</strong>-wool enemies.<br />

But if Olimpia had enemies in <strong>the</strong> Sacred College, she had powerful<br />

friends as well. There were three Barberini cardinals, who would do<br />

nothing to damage <strong>the</strong> house <strong>of</strong> Pamphili, to which <strong>the</strong>y were now inextricably<br />

allied. The Barberinis could pull toge<strong>the</strong>r a faction <strong>of</strong> cardinals<br />

created by Urban VIII and more recent creations who were on<br />

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

Also among her friends was Cardinal Francesco Cherubini, who had<br />

worked closely with Innocent for more than forty years, first as an auditor<br />

[ 344 ]

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