The Vatican Observer
October 1516

Advancements, temporal and spiritual

King David tells us in Psalm 27; Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Advice taken to heart by the young Spaniard Johesy Rodrequiz Dela Vegas who after being turned down by the Barberini last month, waited and persevered and was finally rewarded with a Subdeacon’s position in their ranks after reapplying this month.

Around the markets

The rumoured return of Arcivescovo Gagliardi from the East was a boon to vendors; the vintinari and marcellari in particular. When one has been absent for a time the cellar must be replenished and wine and meat are the preferences of men of station. The pastini and the mole were not forgotten, however.

In his time on Mission the Arcivescovo bought several rugs of great craftsmanship in Constantinopoli. The design and execution of which elevates them from the work of artisans to near that of artists; although some will undoubtedly disagree with such an estimation. Although the Arcivesco has not himself yet returned, having sent word ahead of the purchases to be made, he will surely be doing his utmost to hurry back to Rome to enjoy these, his many purchases.

Maestro Facente, and his servant, Signor Gallo, continued to perform their usual duties and maintain the regularity of the Maestro's home. While the servant conducts business with the vendors of food, drink, and daily needs such as candles, the Maestro is on the via de Carta buying ink, vellum, and paper. It is not eventful. but it is a steady source of income for those whom the Maestro patronizes.

The satori of the strada de Giubbonari had the good fortune to receive Diacono Colonna's business for entirely new apparel. Such an expenditure is seldom unwarranted. Seasons change and a man needs clothes suitable for the weather. It is a fact most inescapable. As is the change of station. A man of modesty dresses according to his post and position ,neither above nor below.

The most extensive outlay of funds was the purchase of by Padre Clementi, who bought a Villa. Such an event is most uncommon, as it is typical for one to wait for His Holiness to grant an estate of any size. Undoubtedly, the merchants of the Banchi did not have an opinion, as the quantity and quality of imported glass from Venezia, wine from Bordeaux and the Rhine, tapestry from Flanders quieted any wagging tongues. Money does have the effect of silencing critics, most of the time. Padre Clementi did not forget the merchants, vendors, and artisans of Roma; furniture from the vicolo de Sediari, work from the strada de Vascellari, and food and drink for the cellar. It was a very profitable month form the Travestere to the Ponte.

The Padre has also engaged a cook of some reputation, it is rumoured. Therefore, we will not name the man until it is proven to be so.

October

While a certain calm has descended upon Roma, there were still many events of interest, miei amici. Let us see what the notables of Roma have been about.

Gatherings

The most prestigious event of the month, other than those held at the Palace, was the annual dinner of the Collegio. Among the luminaries attending were Maestro Domenico Facente and Edward L'Inglese: the Maestro received many approving comments and nods from the assemblage. Arriving with the maestro was Edward L'Inglese who was later seated next to Maestro Facente for the dinner proper.

In the third week of October, there were two gatherings. Borgia Deacon Giano Lombardi hosted a dinner at the Celian. Gonzaga Priest Jerome Ficolo and Sophia headed the list of those attending. The dinner was a celebratory, to give thanks for the safe return of many from the Holy Land. Most of the viands and side dishes featured produce from the Lombardi region.

The Capitoline saw Aldobrandini Bishop Vittorio Gregorio Magliano and Ginevra hosting a small gathering. Edward L'Inglese, with Anna, and Farnese Deacon Marcantonio Colonna were among those seen entering. As will be seen, Deacon Colonna was certainly not a stay-at-home this month.

The month ended with a far more cosy gathering in camera, as Deacon Colonna called on Domenico Facente and Claudia at Domenico Facente's home. Maestro Facente has been noted as Deacon Colonna's patron. The e latter is apparently working on a religious icon and brought preliminary sketches to show Maestro Facente. A wise decision, the patron's desires are ever foremost in an artist’s mind.

Clubs and Masses

Clubs

At the month's outset Borgia Priest Vincente di Scotti apparently thought the better of being seen on the town, and kept a quiet evening at home with his companion of the court, Lucia. Likely, Padre di Scotti is planning an appearance at Court in the near future and is wisely catching up on the gossip and events.

Borgia Deacon Giano Lombardi and Alessandra were seen at the Celian in the second week of the month. Staying true to form from September, Deacon Lombardi took a turn at the tables of chance, making three bets of 20 ducats each and losing all. Still, the crowd loves a gracious loser almost as much as one who wins, and there are many paths to notoriety.

In the last week, the relative newcomer, painter Ronaldo Vincetti, also arrived at the Celian, to see and be seen. Roma is the cradle of the Arts; many will be eagerly awaiting the first exhibition by this promising new artist.

Church

In week 4 Padre Jerome Ficolo and Sophia attended Mass, as did Borgia Priest Valentino Clementi who also gave confession (confessing, among other things, that he spent 1,000 ducats on a villa earlier that month).

At the Papal Palace

The jewel in the crown of October's events was, of course, the Grand Ball held at the Papal Palace. Attending were Archbishop Enzo di Vitelli and Fiametta. The Archbishop had perhaps become a little disused to the rapidly-changing etiquettes and protocols of the Court, and will doubtless wish to review his modes and manners before his next visit.

E finito.

Ineamus Ad Discendum Exeamus Ad Merendum

The Scuola Horace welcomed Padre Ficolo as a most accomplished addition to their faculty. Duly he reciprocated by teaching two weeks, instead of there usual single week. A boon for those students studying the finer points of etiquette. Likewise Vescovo Magliano taught two weeks at the Scuola Cicero instructing those in the art of Oratory. How fine it is that good men of talent and expertise are willing to share their knowledge with others.

Perhaps had it been known that the aforementioned were lecturing more would have attended, or it may be that many sought to improve their personal attributes rather than the more public expression of one's skill.

Whatever the truth may be it is not relevant.

Padre Condottiero took the full months course in etiquette at the Scuola Horace. one of the few who availed themselves of the value of intense study. Padre Di Scotti, and Vescovo Magliano study there also, but only for a week. Vescovo Magliano is fortunate he managed to study and teach for the majority of the month while giving council to His Holiness.

Subdiacono Dela Vegas and Subdiacono L'Inglese both studied at the Scuola Cicero for a week. The Barberini, it seems, wish to make haste slowly.

The remainder of study was done at those scuoli dealing with fundamental personal abilities; eloquence, presence, and wit. All of which inform Oratory and Etiquette, but neither Art or Administration.

The Scuola Cato, where presence is studied, saw several students of note attend. Arcivescovo di Vitelli was the most prominent, while Diacono Lombardi was among the lesser known.

Yet, even among those men well established it is still wise to improve, and those beginning, such as Diacono Lombardi, it is fundamental to form a good basis for later progress.

Such is the case of Subdiacono L'Inglese, who has come from afar, and has come far in his progress at the Scuola Martial. Eloquence in one's own tongue may be present, but to become eloquent in another language is a difficulty which must be daunting unless one has been given the particular gift. Some few men have this talent of learning another language only by listening. Such a rare and wonderful gift from Our Lord is not to be trivialized.

Padre Clementi spent a week at the Scuola Juvenal studying wit. This, as are all the fundamental skills, is difficult to improve upon, or learn. To be honest, how does one learn to tell a joke? Many of us will never be good at this very natural ability, nor make a retort to a comment with elegance and the grace of a finely made rapier wielded expertly. Therefore, let us not judge the efforts of men to improve upon whatever virtues Our Lord has given them, but applaud their will to continually hone all that is best in themselves.

Men of the Cloth / Men of Steel

Despite his new standing as a Patriarch, His Beatitude the Most Reverend Rinaldo Leonardo Amadeo de Gregori remained in Constantinople to lead the Fourth Coalition. Perhaps no others in Rome wished to replace him in dealing with Beria Nazam Kekilli? Having taken some time to consider the woman’s nefarious nature, the Patriarch had far greater success this month in avoiding, or countering, the perilous pitfalls she scattered throughout the negotiations.

Indeed so successful was his campaign against her that at times it was the wily advisor to the Sultan who found herself wrong-footed and on the defensive.

In implementing such a commendable strategy de Gregori validated the belief shown in him by His Holiness that led to his promotion last month. After hearing of the Patriarch’s continued success, His Holiness invested further in de Gregori by granting him a Villa large enough to generate an income of almost one hundred ducats a month, yet this was not to be the end of de Gregori’s rewards. It appears that Beria Nazam Kekilli was so pleased to find, as she was reported to have commented, “a worthy opponent at last” that she sent the Patriarch several gifts as a way of showing her gratitude. Some of these gifts would be of great interest to Deacon Colonna for they were the very items of Christian art that he had spent so long searching for when in the city, only to find they had been looted long ago when the churches were converted to mosques.

Not that the campaign was completely bloodless, for whilst the Sforza faction seemed to have a strong leader in their bishop he could not prevent the losses of last month being added to as a Padre and a Subdeacon returned to Rome with great haste. What became of a second Subdeacon who was last seen seeking directions in the bazaar may never be known, but the Sforza are beginning to look a mere fraction of the faction they were.

Greater by far was the loss suffered by the Ludovisi who were shocked by the loss of Bishop Blatti. On the back of his skilful avoidance of scandal last month Bishop Blatti’s worth appeared to be in the ascendancy. However in the final week of the month it came to light that a sizable sum of money had disappeared from the papal chests, such a loss would be unfortunate enough but these chests had already been set aside and promised to the Sultan in earlier negotiations. The Swiss Guard, and the Sultan’s own, investigated the disappearance and he Sultan’s men soon uncovered evidence that implicated none other than Patriarch de Gregori himself. The Patriarch had recently transferred the sum of one thousand ducats to the Sultan’s men in order to arrange the release of his advisor Deacon Caminetti. The Sultan’s men had carried out a delicate, and most secretive, trade with the Mameluk forces that held the young Deacon and despite distrust, if not open hostility, between the two sides Caminetti was soon back at de Gregori’s side.

This altruistic show of liberality, when viewed via a number of statements from witnesses, threw suspicion on the Patriarch. As did the discovery of a number of small items in his possession previously having been logged amongst the coalition’s treasury. Yet all of the witnesses found were Muslim, the evidence found was not strong, the Patriarch was known to have received more than that sum in gifts over his career and the small items could easily have been transported along with Berla’s gifts. It looked to many as this was just another game by the Sultan’s advisors to destroy the gains made by the Patriarch, and yet a game that could have most serious and long lasting consequences.

Faced with the collapse of the negotiations and humiliation for the Patriarch, the senior members of the coalition met at great length throughout the night. In the morning de Gregori informed Beria Nazam Kekilli that the fault it seemed lay with Bishop Blatti of the Ludovisi, a man who had allowed a moment of personal weakness to overcome his devotion to God. The Sultan of course demanded justice, the loss of the Bishops hand at least, but was informed with regret that as the gift had not actually been made the matter was one of embezzlement of Papal funds rather than theft from the Sultan and that Blatti had already been placed on a ship back to Rome where full disciplinary measures awaited him. The Sultan was not pleased that the Bishop had been spirited away from under the watchful eye of his men, but with the gift of the expected monies and more, a full accounting of the Patriarch’s funding and a full apology for the inconvenience there was little more that could be done and the talks continued.

It should be reported however that Bishop Blatti never returned to Rome, for the ship that carried him made port in Marina Piccola on Capri. Here the Bishop took possession of a most beautiful Palazzo, and its most valuable vineyards, that awaited him in the Belvedere of Tragara. A small gift perhaps for his services to a most grateful Papal Court.

With Blatti’s departure leaving the Ludovisi only three clergy above the rank of Subdeacon, much of the every task must now fall to Deacon Novelli. However it has been mentioned in Rome that whilst the mission itself seemed to come as a great surprise to Novelli, he has since shown himself to be a resourceful young man who should have no difficulty in carrying them out.

Whilst Patriarch de Gregori set aside his new duties in order to continue to lead the coalition, the Most Reverend Archbishop Bartolomeo Gagliardi was due to be swiftly recalled to Rome. It transpired, however, that his archbishopric had been awarded prematurely and that he had not yet served sufficient time in his present post to advance from it. Bishop Gagliardi, as he now was again, was halfway to Rome by the time the news reached him, and was required to hastily return to Constantinople where he found that command of the Papal Scholars had in the meantime fallen to an untried Canon, whose name it seems hardly worth recording as following a terrible month he was quickly dismissed by the returned and irate Bishop, along with two Subdeacons who were acting as the hapless Canon’s advisors.

Keeping his head whilst those around him tried their hardest not to lose theirs, Deacon Dante di Gregori proved to be one of only two Scholars worthy of note this month.

Whilst cataloguing church accounts the Deacon located some original correspondence between His Holiness Pope Nicolas V and Patriarch Gennadios II of Constantinople. For returning such valuable historical documents to the care of Rome the Deacon was officially rewarded with the sum of four hundred and fifty ducats and, unofficially, will no doubt be spoken of fondly by the many researchers, historians and archivists of Rome.

Swiss Guard Major Bernabo Amendola, normally affiliated to the Barberini and acting as a lay reader, assisted Deacon di Gregori in his endeavours. While doing so, he made a discovery of his own: a rare collection of Greek manuscripts, works of antiquity long lost in the West and for the discovery of which he found himself awarded a princely sum of no less than twelve hundred ducats and spoken of most favourably within the Papal court.

Finally the Missionary faction carried out what public works they could, given the great restriction placed on them by Muslim law, and they did what they could in a quiet and conscientious manner. There were few outstanding acts to report this month, but with only a single Deacon falling afoul of the Sultan’s men it was considered that they had done well.

Debates

Once again my dear brothres, the cafes and piazzas of Rome were sadly devoid of learned dispute.

A sad affair, I am sure we all agree. Still, word has it that men have clashed over companions, I thank them reader, as I am sure do you. Such men are the lifeblood of Roman discourse, they delight and entertain us, and I urge each and every one of you to go forth and find cause, one with another, without delay.

Go, my friends, go and strive tongue to tongue such that all may watch and admire!

Court Companionship

With the air of Roma now beginning to chill as autumn begins, activity in Roma is sparse in the field of Companions. At the beginning of the month both Farnese/Priest Girolamo Alessandro Condottiero and Ronaldo Vincetti visited the Salons, and presumably gained some insight into the gossip of the City.

Around the same time, Borgia Deacon Giano Lombardi approached the Brilliant Alessandra, spending money on an "eastern delicacy called dates and figs, as well as a poem". He was successful, and they retired to discuss the politics of the Church.

Also, at the time, both new Barberini Subdeacon Johesy Rodrequiz Dela Vegas and Farnese Deacon Marcantonio Colonna approach the Influential Costanza, the latter bearing a fortune on an "illustrated manual on Constantinople", no doubt to interest her in his recent travels. Unfortunately the manual was dropped in a puddle and damaged, maybe beyond restoration. The two clergy now have cause for debate.

Later Borgia Priest Valentino Clementi approach the Brilliant and former Unofficial Confidante Valentina, spending heavily on "fine glassworks from the craftsmen of Rome". Although, it is said, much of the expense may have been for lots of straw to transport it in. His efforts saw success.

Finally, we can report that no important person of Roma has failed to seek out the advice of a Companion this month.

Papal Calendar

The Pope will host the following events at the Medici Palace, Florence
In the first week: None
In the second week: None
In the third week: None
In the fourth week: Grand Ball

Upcoming Debates

JRV with MC over Costanza

Positions Vacant

School Directors