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mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

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

sacrament <strong>of</strong> marriage—“What <strong>the</strong>refore God has put toge<strong>the</strong>r, let not<br />

man put asunder.” According to Catholic belief, this sacrament marked<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir souls with a holy seal indicating that <strong>the</strong>y belonged toge<strong>the</strong>r as<br />

long as <strong>the</strong>y both lived.<br />

After <strong>the</strong> wedding, <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bride was supposed to give a<br />

huge feast at his home. Sforza would have invited not only family but<br />

church <strong>of</strong>ficials, local dignitaries, business contacts, and <strong>the</strong>ir extended<br />

families. Perhaps Sforza winced at <strong>the</strong> cost but <strong>the</strong>n remembered how<br />

fortunate he was to unload his embarrassing daughter on so prestigious<br />

a family for such a scant dowry.<br />

After <strong>the</strong> reception, <strong>the</strong> guests would have escorted <strong>the</strong> newlyweds in<br />

a festive procession through <strong>the</strong> winding medieval streets to <strong>the</strong> groom’s<br />

home. For more than seventy years <strong>the</strong> Nini family had owned two<br />

palaces facing each o<strong>the</strong>r across <strong>the</strong> narrow, curving Via Annio. Paolo’s<br />

fa<strong>the</strong>r had lived in one, and Paolo lived in <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

Built in <strong>the</strong> early sixteenth century, <strong>the</strong> Nini palaces were what we<br />

would consider sprawling town houses. They were <strong>the</strong> most modern<br />

buildings on <strong>the</strong> street, with large, flat fronts and regularly spaced windows.<br />

Olimpia’s new home was five windows across and three stories<br />

high. On <strong>the</strong> outside was an inscription in Latin stating that a Nini ancestor<br />

had enlarged and painted <strong>the</strong> house in 1543.<br />

On ei<strong>the</strong>r side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> building was a high arched carriage entrance, and<br />

underneath were stalls for <strong>the</strong> horses. The passages opened onto a courtyard.<br />

A courtyard was a most useful place for <strong>the</strong> day-to-day functioning<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> household. Here <strong>the</strong> grooms brought <strong>the</strong> horses out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir stalls,<br />

brushed <strong>the</strong>m, and hitched <strong>the</strong>m up to carriages. Here was <strong>the</strong> tradesmen’s<br />

entrance, where carts rolled up laden with firewood, barrels <strong>of</strong><br />

wine, or animal carcasses to be dropped <strong>of</strong>f at <strong>the</strong> kitchen door.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> courtyard, if <strong>the</strong>re was sufficient room, was an herb garden<br />

for <strong>the</strong> cook and a flower garden where <strong>the</strong> <strong>mistress</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house could<br />

sit in <strong>the</strong> shade <strong>of</strong> a tree and contemplate <strong>the</strong> blooms. Also in <strong>the</strong> courtyard,<br />

as far away from <strong>the</strong> house and garden as possible, were <strong>the</strong> outhouses,<br />

though many larger houses had inside privies which drained<br />

into a pit in <strong>the</strong> basement.<br />

The courtyard usually contained <strong>the</strong> well, if <strong>the</strong>re was one, and<br />

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