The Grassy Knoll, Medici Style

[livius drusus]

Have you ever heard of the Pazzi Conspiracy? If you've seen Hannibal, the whole Italian detective hunting down Dr. Lechter bit is peppered with Pazzi Conspiracy references.

The Pazzi were a powerful Florentine family -- bankers, producers of several popes and arch-rivals of the Medici -- who in 1478 tried to take over the city state by assassinating Giulano and Lorenzo de Medici. Lorenzo survived eventually to earn a "The Magnificent" moniker and the Pazzi were slaughtered for their trouble.

There has been speculation on how far reaching the conspiracy was and who was involved for, oh, just about 600 years. Federico da Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino, (pictured here (http://www.eugubininelmondo.it/images/Federico%20II%20Duca%20D'Urbino.JPG) in a very famous portrait which fascinated me as a child on account of the chunk a falcon was said to have taken out of his nose), Pope Sixtus IV (who was related to the Pazzi), the King of Naples, have long been thought to have either played an active part or expected to benefit from the regime change.

Well, a Wesleyan historian by the name of Marcello Simonetta has found the smoking gun (http://pazzi.biography.ms/). He came across an encrypted letter in a private archive and was able to crack the code thanks to a 15th century book on diplomatic codes written by his own ancestor, Cicco Simonetta. (Can you even stand how cool that is?)

The letter is from Montefeltro to the Pope and details his plans to send 600 troops to the gates Florence so they can take over once the Medici are killed. He also thanks Sixtus for sending his son a lovely jewel, but that's just a side item.

Simonetta has published his findings in Italy where they have caused a huge stir, but the book hasn't been published anywhere I can get to it yet. I might have to cash in a few chits with some of my old friends, though, to score a copy of the Italian version.

Meanwhile, I'm going to slake my thirst reading another book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0195152956/qid=1118257167/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-3790989-8420034?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) written by a historian who thinks the letter is no big whup because we always knew Montefeltro and the Pope were involved.

:wriggle:

[Julian]

I always thought that it was common knowledge that the pope was involved. I guess I took that just a bit too much for granted. I do love how the pope is involved in a plot of assassination that takes place in a church of all places.

Very cool stuff, I used to be into the Italian renaissance in a major way. :) I do like the Medicis, does that make me evil? I also liked the Borgias...

Julian

[livius drusus]

I always thought that it was common knowledge that the pope was involved. I guess I took that just a bit too much for granted.

Common knowledge is a good way to describe it. People have definitely known the major players all along, but there was no hard evidence. This letter is quite the stiffy.

I do like the Medicis, does that make me evil? I also liked the Borgias...

Of course you do! They're a fascinating bunch of people from a fascinating period of history. Have a little stroll through the document archives of the Medici Project (http://www.freethought-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1424) some lazy Saturday afternoon. I guarantee you won't regret it. :yup:

[Julian]

Bookmark'd. :)

If I could be said to have an idol, it would be Machiavelli and, by association, Cesare Borgia. Lucrezia seemed very nice but a bit dull, despite her later bad reputation, entirely undeserved. And Rodrigo, man, could he ever juggle his politics.

I do kinda think that the Medici's weren't quite so cool starting with The Magnificent and onwards. He was a great patron of the arts, to be sure, but he wasn't very good at the money side, which was the real power behind the Medicis. If it hadn't been for the papacy of Leo X, I suspect that the Medicis would have quietly slipped into oblivion after Lorenzo.

Julian