The Borgherini Enigma - Theartofpainting.be

The Borgherini Enigma Page: 22 / 179but he had shaven off his nobleman’s beard. Salvi di Francesco dei Borgherini had insistedhis son wore the family badge proudly, and clearly visible at the Medici procession, butPierfrancesco was ill at ease, still fearing the Neapolitan thieves.Pierfrancesco Borgherini and Francesco Granacci sauntered into the Via Larga, Bachiaccatrailing behind. They entered the street of the Palazzo Medici, of the monastery of San Marco,and if one looked to the left coming from the Duomo, also of the church of San Lorenzo. TheVia Larga was as crowded with people as if a market had been held there that day. Peoplepacked the windows and the balconies of the street. Youths clambered on rooftops. Manypeople shouted the Medici rallying cry of ‘Palle! Palle!’ The traffic of chariots and carts anddonkeys laden with goods had stopped. Guards blocked the Via Larga for such traffic. Thepeople strolled at ease, but it was hard to advance in the throng if one wanted to walk quickerthan the mass of men and women and children, all dressed up as if they were going to attendEaster Mass. Pierfrancesco and Granacci just let the crowd push them on.The Medici would ride out of their palace, at the corner of the Via Larga and the Via de Gori,pass briefly at their family church of San Lorenzo, ride up again to San Marco and payhomage to the monks, then ply back all along the Via Larga once more to the Duomo, andenjoy their triumph throughout the very centre of Florence, until they reached the Piazza dellaSignoria. They would then be received at the Town Hall, by the Signoria, by the Priors ofFlorence.The three bored and lazily advancing friends arrived from the Duomo and had just passed theside road that led from the Via Larga to San Lorenzo, when they heard applause. Acommotion formed in front of them and the people pushed forward towards the PalazzoMedici. Soldiers of Florence rushed out of the courtyard and pushed the crowd apart. Thecortège of the Medici would soon ride out of the palace. The heralds with trumpets that hadbeen waiting in the street started to move as a group, and their high, shrill sounds filled thestreet, above the cheers of the crowd. A group of twenty drummers followed, dressed inMedici colours, and strode into the Via Larga. They beat an ominous roll of drums, whichreverberated down and up the street, frightening the children and inspiring awe and fear in thebystanders.‘Why is it,’ Pierfrancesco wondered, ‘the sound of drums has such an ominous effect onpeople? Maybe it is because the drums beat like our hearts and the vibrations in the air reachour very being. I don’t like drums.’Behind them, the people pushed even more together to catch a glimpse of the illustrious menthat would ride out soon.A company of about fifty lansquenets armed with halberds marched in two rows at the soundof the drums. They were the German and Spanish guards of the Medici and they opened,walking slowly, to let the rest of the cortège walk between their two fierce-looking rows oflong lances ending in gleaming axes. The Medici had taken no risk on this day. The crowdwould not get near them.Suddenly, Cardinal Giovanni de’Medici rode out of the gate of his palace, dressed in crimsonrobes and red Cardinal’s cap, wearing large rings studded with precious stones on the fingersthat held the reins of his horse. A long, heavy golden chain hung around his neck, down to hisbreast. He was a rather plump man with a round, innocent-looking face. His eyes darted overthe crowd, gently but commanding, and his hand already formed a blessing. He rode a docileCopyright © René Dewil Version 2 Number of words: 108230 July 2009