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The Bronze Crown
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The Bronze Crown
Stefano Vignaroli
Year 2018: from the icon of the Palace of the Lordship of Jesi the bronze crown to symbolize the royalty of the city, always above the rampant lion, disappears . A new enigma to be solved for the scholar Lucia Balleani who, having finally met the love in the young archaeologist Andrea Franciolini, she has to rediscover with him some unknown aspects of the life of her ancestor Lucia Baldeschi. So let's return, together with our two heroes, back in time to half a millennium, to discover how people lived among the alleys, squares and palaces of a beautiful city in the Marche region, famous in the world, then as now, for being the birthplace of Emperor Frederick the II. ”But neither one of them, looking up over the portal and dwelling on the rampant lion's shrine, could escape a detail, which brought an exclamation to their mouths, almost in unison, as if they were one person: ”The crown!”.
Bernardino, the printer, is lying in desperate conditions in a room at Santa Lucia hospital. Cardinal Baldeschi died suddenly and left the city government vacant. Will young Lucia Baldeschi finally take the reins of government and prevent Jesi from falling into the hands of enemies who have always been pressing at his doors? Certainly, one cannot leave the government in the hands of four corrupt nobles or, worse, entrust it to the papal legate sent by the Pope. But Lucia is a woman, and it's not easy to take on roles of power, traditionally handed down to men. And Andrea, her love, what happened to her, after escaping the scaffold and disappearing in the wake of the Mancino? Will he return to the scene to help his beloved? Or will controversial events lead him to other shores? And we also remember the parallel story, that of the scholar Lucia Balleani, our contemporary, who perhaps has finally met the love of hes life, the one who will take her by hand to discover with the reader new arcane secrets. Love and death, esotericism and logic, good and evil. These are just some of the ingredients that give rhythm to this new investigation, focused on the mysterious disappearance of the bronze crown, once placed above the rampant lion of the main palace of Jesi, that of the Signoria. Once again, the past is intertwined with the present, through the parallel vicissitudes of the protagonists of the present day and their namesake ancestors. A comely lady and haughty regent of the Aesina Republic, Lucia Baldeschi is divided between the obligations of the reason of state and love for the fugitive knight, the brave leader Andrea Franciolini. Between history and legend, the action ranges from the severe buildings and dark secret passages of an underground Jesi, to the open countryside of its Contado, populated by shepherds and monks during the day and animated by magical rites during moonlight. Then there are the intrigues of the palace, the feuds between the lords and the battles; those between the armies and against the pirates, from Urbino to Senigallia, up to some of the most suggestive gorges of the Apennines. The sixteenth century, characterized by light and shadow, is divided between the cult of reason and the practice of esotericism, of which the characters of the novel are the faithful mirror. In their demeanour, as well as in their merits and defects. In their footsteps, among sensational discoveries and brilliant intuitions, the quarrelsome lovers, Lucia and Andrea, from the Jesi of the twenty-first century will come to the truth in the sign of a timeless love.
To Giuseppe Luconi and Mario Pasquinelli,
illustrious citizens who are
part of the history of Jesi
Amici di Jesi
Stefano Vignaroli
THE BRONZE CROWN
The Printer – second episode
©2017 Amici di Jesi
©2020 Tektime
All reproduction, distribution and translation rights are reserved
The pieces on the history of Jesi have been taken and freely adapted from the texts of Giuseppe Luconi
Illustrations by Prof. Mario Pasquinelli, courtesy of the legitimate heirs
Translation by Fatima Immacolata Pretta
Website http://www.stedevigna.com
Email for contacts stedevigna@gmail.com
THE BRONZE CROWN
The Printer – second episode
Translated by Fatima Immacolata Pretta
NOVEL
PREFACE
Jesi, the birthplace of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, returns being the stage of the adventures of the young scholar Lucia Balleani, in the second episode of the trilogy The Printer. Love and death, esotericism and reason, good and bad. These are just some of the ingredients that give rhythm to this new investigation, focused on the mysterious disappearance of the bronze crown, once placed above the rampant lion of the main of Jesi palace, that of the Signoria. With skilful alchemy, Vignaroli intertwines past and present, through the parallel events of the protagonists of the present day and of the homonymous ancestors. An attractive lady and haughty regent of the Aesina republic, Lucia Baldeschi is divided between the obligations of reason of state and the love for the fugitive knight, the brave leader Andrea Franciolini.
Between history and legend, the action ranges from the severe buildings and the dark secret passages of a subterranean Jesi, to the open countryside of its earldom, populated by shepherds and monks by day and animated by magical rites during the moonlight. Then there are the palace intrigues, the feuds between the lords, and the battles: those among armies and against pirates, from Urbino to Senigallia, up to some of the most suggestive gorges of the Apennines. Places and distinctive features of an era, the sixteenth century, characterized by lights and shadows, divided between the cult of reason and the practice of esotericism and of which the characters of the novel are the faithful mirror. In demeanour, as well as in strengths and weaknesses. In their footsteps, between sensational discoveries and brilliant intuitions, the quarrelsome lovers, Lucia and Andrea, of the twenty-first century Jesi will come to the truth in the sign of timeless love.
Marco Torcoletti
PREMISE
After the first episode of the series “The printer”, here I am to present you the sequel, the second story. At the end of “The shadow of the bell tower” I had deliberately left several windows open to possible developments of the next plot. Bernardino, the printer, lies in desperate conditions in a room in the Santa Lucia hospital. Cardinal Baldeschi has died suddenly and has left the city government vacant. Will young Lucia Baldeschi finally take the reins of the government and prevent Jesi from falling into the hands of enemies who have always been pressing? Of course, she cannot leave the government in the hands of four corrupt nobles or, worse, entrust it to the papal legate sent by the Pope. But Lucia is a woman, and it is not easy to assume roles of power, traditionally entrusted to men. And what will happen to Andrea, her love, after escaping the gallows and having vanished in the wake of Mancino? Will he return to the scene to help his beloved? Or will controversial events lead him to other shores?
And we also have to remember the parallel story, that of the scholar Lucia Balleani, our contemporary, who perhaps has finally found the love of her life, which will lead her by the hand to discover together with the reader new secret arcana.
In short, the elements are all there, to face a reading that will again lead us through the alleys, squares and palaces of a splendid city in the Marche region, famous throughout the world for being the birthplace of Emperor Frederick II: Jesi. Enjoy the reading!
Stefano Vignaroli
CHAPTER 1
Bernardino had reopened his eyes after days and days of unconsciousness. Though the room was in the semi-darkness, he was dazzled by the light and white of the room. A small, bare room with white walls, no paintings, no frescoes on the ceiling, not even the company of a shelf with books. He thought he had already arrived in Paradise, but the excruciating pains he felt all over his body made him realize he was still alive. Hearing him complain, a nun approached him and brought him a cup of chicken broth to his lips, which until then had forced him to swallow despite his unconsciousness. Though cold, Bernardino swallowed it with greed, until it went through him and started coughing. But he grabbed the nun’s arm again, which was pulling the precious liquid away from him, as he felt his throat so burnt, that he thought he had come out of that hell of flames only a few minutes before. But it had been almost a month since the day his shop burned down.
«You are still weak, my friend. Little by little, or there’ll be trouble. The Doctor recommended a few sips and often. And Doctor Serafino is a good man, otherwise you wouldn’t be with us at this hour!», the nun told him kindly, but in a firm voice.
«The Cardinal, it was the Cardinal...», Bernardino tried to say, with his voice choking between new coughs.
«Yes, yes, it was Cardinal Baldeschi who wanted you to be cured in this place, thanks to the intercession of his dear nephew. Unfortunately, the Cardinal is no longer here. A disgrace, a horrible disgrace. The Cardinal was killed, by one of his servants from what I know, a certain Mira. She made him fall from the balcony of his study, after stabbing him with a very sharp knife. Rumour said that the Cardinal caught the girl stealing from his study. A fight broke out between the two of them and the old man got the worst of it. But the servant girl was arrested, and will pay for her sins. Ah, she’ll pay!»
Despite his pains, Bernardino grabbed the nun’s hand and made a superhuman effort to talk to her.
«Are you telling me that Cardinal Artemio Baldeschi is dead? Is it true? But... how long has it been since I lost consciousness? From the way you speak, it doesn’t seem to be yesterday or the day before yesterday. And what about Lucia Baldeschi? From what you tell me, she must have been left alone!»
«Stay calm. I told you, but you mustn’t make any effort! You spent a month on this bed, in the grip of fever, delirium, dreams that gripped your soul and your heart. My sisters and I were desperate for you. And instead, the good Lord has not yet welcomed you into His house, and you are still among us. I will send a message to Lucia Baldeschi, telling her that you have regained consciousness. She will be very happy and will certainly come to visit you the next few days.»
«Sister, send for her at once. Palazzo Baldeschi is just across the street, in this very square. I can even see it from my window!»
The nun smiled and withdrew her hand, still held by Bernardino’s hand.
«For her safety, the Lady withdrew to the family’s country residence, near Monsano, with her daughters and their tutors. The Pope has already appointed a new Cardinal, who is arriving from Rome. Since it is not known what ideas she has, Countess Lucia prefers to stay away from the city for the moment. Consider that Jesi is in complete disarray! We no longer have either civil or religious authority, and we could be easy prey to enemies, both internal and external. So I consider the noble woman’s decision to protect herself and her daughters to be wise. We must not forget that her betrothed, Andrea, is still in circulation and could come at any moment to claim his seat as Captain of the People, as well as the hand of the noble Baldeschi.»
«After all, he would have every right. The title of Capitano del Popolo
belongs to him and his blood runs in little Laura’s veins», Bernardino said, with his voice almost starting to clear up.
«You’ve only just recovered and already you can’t keep your damn mouth shut? Don’t say heresies! Wasn’t it enough to escape the flames once? Do you want to end up in the fire again?» the nun replied ironically, going to close the window shutters and plunging the room into darkness. «Rest now, for you need it!»
«Just one thing, Sister. I have the urge to urinate. How can I do it? I’ll never get up from here!»
«How do you think you’ve been doing all these days? Just relax. We’ve applied a hose, which conveys your moods directly into a jar under the bed.»
Bernardino let go of the urine, marvelling at how in fact there was a strange odour in the room, due to the medicines and the poultices they had applied to his burns, but there was no smell of excrements at all. And he must have made some in a month that he was lying in bed!
While he could remember nothing of the delusions and dreams of the previous days, from then on Bernardino’s rest was constantly agitated by nightmares, dreams and visions, which he himself, in his awake sleep, could hardly distinguish from reality. Now he saw himself surrounded by flames, now he felt protected in Lucia’s gentle arms. Only now did he realize that it was she who had rescued him, who had saved his life. He saw her clearly above him before he lost consciousness. And he would have expected to see her next to him as soon as he opened his eyes again. But every time he woke up, he found himself in the same half-light room, helpless, unable even to lift himself. The only human presences were the nuns, now one, now another, who took turns at his bedside, sprinkling him with ointments and poultices and trying to make him swallow the usual broth. There seemed to be no other food in that hospital than that. Only once had he sensed the presence of the doctor next to him, a gruff man with thick white hair and lace of the same colour. He had put his ear to his chest and said: «In three days we’ll try to get him up. Despite his age, this man is a rock. He has a more tenacious heart than mine. Tomorrow we can give him a visit from the noble Baldeschi. Just a few minutes, sister! We mustn’t tire him out. Too much excitement could still be fatal to him.»
The printer felt asleep again, due to the medicines administered to him to relieve the pain. And this time he dreamed of being at work again in his printing house, completely rebuilt and renovated, more beautiful than before. And he dreamed of giving good advice to his noble lady friend. And he dreamed of seeing her on the People’s Captain bench, in the Hall of the Best in the Palazzo del Governo. And he dreamed the children, Anna and Laura, playing and chasing each other in the park of a sumptuous country residence, while he watched them like a caring grandfather.
Stefano Vignaroli
Year 2018: from the icon of the Palace of the Lordship of Jesi the bronze crown to symbolize the royalty of the city, always above the rampant lion, disappears . A new enigma to be solved for the scholar Lucia Balleani who, having finally met the love in the young archaeologist Andrea Franciolini, she has to rediscover with him some unknown aspects of the life of her ancestor Lucia Baldeschi. So let's return, together with our two heroes, back in time to half a millennium, to discover how people lived among the alleys, squares and palaces of a beautiful city in the Marche region, famous in the world, then as now, for being the birthplace of Emperor Frederick the II. ”But neither one of them, looking up over the portal and dwelling on the rampant lion's shrine, could escape a detail, which brought an exclamation to their mouths, almost in unison, as if they were one person: ”The crown!”.
Bernardino, the printer, is lying in desperate conditions in a room at Santa Lucia hospital. Cardinal Baldeschi died suddenly and left the city government vacant. Will young Lucia Baldeschi finally take the reins of government and prevent Jesi from falling into the hands of enemies who have always been pressing at his doors? Certainly, one cannot leave the government in the hands of four corrupt nobles or, worse, entrust it to the papal legate sent by the Pope. But Lucia is a woman, and it's not easy to take on roles of power, traditionally handed down to men. And Andrea, her love, what happened to her, after escaping the scaffold and disappearing in the wake of the Mancino? Will he return to the scene to help his beloved? Or will controversial events lead him to other shores? And we also remember the parallel story, that of the scholar Lucia Balleani, our contemporary, who perhaps has finally met the love of hes life, the one who will take her by hand to discover with the reader new arcane secrets. Love and death, esotericism and logic, good and evil. These are just some of the ingredients that give rhythm to this new investigation, focused on the mysterious disappearance of the bronze crown, once placed above the rampant lion of the main palace of Jesi, that of the Signoria. Once again, the past is intertwined with the present, through the parallel vicissitudes of the protagonists of the present day and their namesake ancestors. A comely lady and haughty regent of the Aesina Republic, Lucia Baldeschi is divided between the obligations of the reason of state and love for the fugitive knight, the brave leader Andrea Franciolini. Between history and legend, the action ranges from the severe buildings and dark secret passages of an underground Jesi, to the open countryside of its Contado, populated by shepherds and monks during the day and animated by magical rites during moonlight. Then there are the intrigues of the palace, the feuds between the lords and the battles; those between the armies and against the pirates, from Urbino to Senigallia, up to some of the most suggestive gorges of the Apennines. The sixteenth century, characterized by light and shadow, is divided between the cult of reason and the practice of esotericism, of which the characters of the novel are the faithful mirror. In their demeanour, as well as in their merits and defects. In their footsteps, among sensational discoveries and brilliant intuitions, the quarrelsome lovers, Lucia and Andrea, from the Jesi of the twenty-first century will come to the truth in the sign of a timeless love.
To Giuseppe Luconi and Mario Pasquinelli,
illustrious citizens who are
part of the history of Jesi
Amici di Jesi
Stefano Vignaroli
THE BRONZE CROWN
The Printer – second episode
©2017 Amici di Jesi
©2020 Tektime
All reproduction, distribution and translation rights are reserved
The pieces on the history of Jesi have been taken and freely adapted from the texts of Giuseppe Luconi
Illustrations by Prof. Mario Pasquinelli, courtesy of the legitimate heirs
Translation by Fatima Immacolata Pretta
Website http://www.stedevigna.com
Email for contacts stedevigna@gmail.com
THE BRONZE CROWN
The Printer – second episode
Translated by Fatima Immacolata Pretta
NOVEL
PREFACE
Jesi, the birthplace of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, returns being the stage of the adventures of the young scholar Lucia Balleani, in the second episode of the trilogy The Printer. Love and death, esotericism and reason, good and bad. These are just some of the ingredients that give rhythm to this new investigation, focused on the mysterious disappearance of the bronze crown, once placed above the rampant lion of the main of Jesi palace, that of the Signoria. With skilful alchemy, Vignaroli intertwines past and present, through the parallel events of the protagonists of the present day and of the homonymous ancestors. An attractive lady and haughty regent of the Aesina republic, Lucia Baldeschi is divided between the obligations of reason of state and the love for the fugitive knight, the brave leader Andrea Franciolini.
Between history and legend, the action ranges from the severe buildings and the dark secret passages of a subterranean Jesi, to the open countryside of its earldom, populated by shepherds and monks by day and animated by magical rites during the moonlight. Then there are the palace intrigues, the feuds between the lords, and the battles: those among armies and against pirates, from Urbino to Senigallia, up to some of the most suggestive gorges of the Apennines. Places and distinctive features of an era, the sixteenth century, characterized by lights and shadows, divided between the cult of reason and the practice of esotericism and of which the characters of the novel are the faithful mirror. In demeanour, as well as in strengths and weaknesses. In their footsteps, between sensational discoveries and brilliant intuitions, the quarrelsome lovers, Lucia and Andrea, of the twenty-first century Jesi will come to the truth in the sign of timeless love.
Marco Torcoletti
PREMISE
After the first episode of the series “The printer”, here I am to present you the sequel, the second story. At the end of “The shadow of the bell tower” I had deliberately left several windows open to possible developments of the next plot. Bernardino, the printer, lies in desperate conditions in a room in the Santa Lucia hospital. Cardinal Baldeschi has died suddenly and has left the city government vacant. Will young Lucia Baldeschi finally take the reins of the government and prevent Jesi from falling into the hands of enemies who have always been pressing? Of course, she cannot leave the government in the hands of four corrupt nobles or, worse, entrust it to the papal legate sent by the Pope. But Lucia is a woman, and it is not easy to assume roles of power, traditionally entrusted to men. And what will happen to Andrea, her love, after escaping the gallows and having vanished in the wake of Mancino? Will he return to the scene to help his beloved? Or will controversial events lead him to other shores?
And we also have to remember the parallel story, that of the scholar Lucia Balleani, our contemporary, who perhaps has finally found the love of her life, which will lead her by the hand to discover together with the reader new secret arcana.
In short, the elements are all there, to face a reading that will again lead us through the alleys, squares and palaces of a splendid city in the Marche region, famous throughout the world for being the birthplace of Emperor Frederick II: Jesi. Enjoy the reading!
Stefano Vignaroli
CHAPTER 1
Bernardino had reopened his eyes after days and days of unconsciousness. Though the room was in the semi-darkness, he was dazzled by the light and white of the room. A small, bare room with white walls, no paintings, no frescoes on the ceiling, not even the company of a shelf with books. He thought he had already arrived in Paradise, but the excruciating pains he felt all over his body made him realize he was still alive. Hearing him complain, a nun approached him and brought him a cup of chicken broth to his lips, which until then had forced him to swallow despite his unconsciousness. Though cold, Bernardino swallowed it with greed, until it went through him and started coughing. But he grabbed the nun’s arm again, which was pulling the precious liquid away from him, as he felt his throat so burnt, that he thought he had come out of that hell of flames only a few minutes before. But it had been almost a month since the day his shop burned down.
«You are still weak, my friend. Little by little, or there’ll be trouble. The Doctor recommended a few sips and often. And Doctor Serafino is a good man, otherwise you wouldn’t be with us at this hour!», the nun told him kindly, but in a firm voice.
«The Cardinal, it was the Cardinal...», Bernardino tried to say, with his voice choking between new coughs.
«Yes, yes, it was Cardinal Baldeschi who wanted you to be cured in this place, thanks to the intercession of his dear nephew. Unfortunately, the Cardinal is no longer here. A disgrace, a horrible disgrace. The Cardinal was killed, by one of his servants from what I know, a certain Mira. She made him fall from the balcony of his study, after stabbing him with a very sharp knife. Rumour said that the Cardinal caught the girl stealing from his study. A fight broke out between the two of them and the old man got the worst of it. But the servant girl was arrested, and will pay for her sins. Ah, she’ll pay!»
Despite his pains, Bernardino grabbed the nun’s hand and made a superhuman effort to talk to her.
«Are you telling me that Cardinal Artemio Baldeschi is dead? Is it true? But... how long has it been since I lost consciousness? From the way you speak, it doesn’t seem to be yesterday or the day before yesterday. And what about Lucia Baldeschi? From what you tell me, she must have been left alone!»
«Stay calm. I told you, but you mustn’t make any effort! You spent a month on this bed, in the grip of fever, delirium, dreams that gripped your soul and your heart. My sisters and I were desperate for you. And instead, the good Lord has not yet welcomed you into His house, and you are still among us. I will send a message to Lucia Baldeschi, telling her that you have regained consciousness. She will be very happy and will certainly come to visit you the next few days.»
«Sister, send for her at once. Palazzo Baldeschi is just across the street, in this very square. I can even see it from my window!»
The nun smiled and withdrew her hand, still held by Bernardino’s hand.
«For her safety, the Lady withdrew to the family’s country residence, near Monsano, with her daughters and their tutors. The Pope has already appointed a new Cardinal, who is arriving from Rome. Since it is not known what ideas she has, Countess Lucia prefers to stay away from the city for the moment. Consider that Jesi is in complete disarray! We no longer have either civil or religious authority, and we could be easy prey to enemies, both internal and external. So I consider the noble woman’s decision to protect herself and her daughters to be wise. We must not forget that her betrothed, Andrea, is still in circulation and could come at any moment to claim his seat as Captain of the People, as well as the hand of the noble Baldeschi.»
«After all, he would have every right. The title of Capitano del Popolo
belongs to him and his blood runs in little Laura’s veins», Bernardino said, with his voice almost starting to clear up.
«You’ve only just recovered and already you can’t keep your damn mouth shut? Don’t say heresies! Wasn’t it enough to escape the flames once? Do you want to end up in the fire again?» the nun replied ironically, going to close the window shutters and plunging the room into darkness. «Rest now, for you need it!»
«Just one thing, Sister. I have the urge to urinate. How can I do it? I’ll never get up from here!»
«How do you think you’ve been doing all these days? Just relax. We’ve applied a hose, which conveys your moods directly into a jar under the bed.»
Bernardino let go of the urine, marvelling at how in fact there was a strange odour in the room, due to the medicines and the poultices they had applied to his burns, but there was no smell of excrements at all. And he must have made some in a month that he was lying in bed!
While he could remember nothing of the delusions and dreams of the previous days, from then on Bernardino’s rest was constantly agitated by nightmares, dreams and visions, which he himself, in his awake sleep, could hardly distinguish from reality. Now he saw himself surrounded by flames, now he felt protected in Lucia’s gentle arms. Only now did he realize that it was she who had rescued him, who had saved his life. He saw her clearly above him before he lost consciousness. And he would have expected to see her next to him as soon as he opened his eyes again. But every time he woke up, he found himself in the same half-light room, helpless, unable even to lift himself. The only human presences were the nuns, now one, now another, who took turns at his bedside, sprinkling him with ointments and poultices and trying to make him swallow the usual broth. There seemed to be no other food in that hospital than that. Only once had he sensed the presence of the doctor next to him, a gruff man with thick white hair and lace of the same colour. He had put his ear to his chest and said: «In three days we’ll try to get him up. Despite his age, this man is a rock. He has a more tenacious heart than mine. Tomorrow we can give him a visit from the noble Baldeschi. Just a few minutes, sister! We mustn’t tire him out. Too much excitement could still be fatal to him.»
The printer felt asleep again, due to the medicines administered to him to relieve the pain. And this time he dreamed of being at work again in his printing house, completely rebuilt and renovated, more beautiful than before. And he dreamed of giving good advice to his noble lady friend. And he dreamed of seeing her on the People’s Captain bench, in the Hall of the Best in the Palazzo del Governo. And he dreamed the children, Anna and Laura, playing and chasing each other in the park of a sumptuous country residence, while he watched them like a caring grandfather.
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