The Beati Paouli, Prologue: Chapter 1
May. 14th, 2024 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meanwrightPrologue, Chapter I
[240511] [9] It was the evening of January 12th, 1698, two hours before the Ave Maria. The Royal Palace of Palermo was filled with a huge crowd, varied and swaying, accumulating behind the faithful Spanish infantry, lined up behind the two bastions constructed by Cardinal Trivulzio and the monument to King Philip IV. Perpendicular to the line of soldiers, with their backs to the Spanish army's quarters, stood three squadrons of Burgudian soldiers in neat lines. A wooden stage, richly covered in crimson and green, closed at the top with a fake balustrade constructed from silvered wood, in chipiroscuro (???). The long, iron-railed portico stood as a corridor hanging in front of the large windows of the King's palace. It was covered in tapestries, which hung from the wall between one opening to the other to beautiful effect. All of the windows were open, despite not being required in the cold weather. In the side windows, you could see a candelabra with its torches lit for illumination, but the in the middle held an imposing marble eagle with its wings spread over the arch of a door hidden by an ample purple velvet canopy adorned with a long fringe of gold and (in the field) the coat of arms of the King of Spain below those of his Excellency, Don Pedro Colon of Portugal, Duke of Cueva Enriquez, Grand Admiral and Major Adelantado (Priate King) of the West Indies, by hereditary right by descent from Christopher Columbus, Duke of Veragua and of Vega, Marquis of Jamaica, Count of Gelves and Villamico, Marquis of Villanova of Driscal, [10] Lord of Torquemada, and finally, Viceroy and Captain General of the Kingdom of Sicily for His Majesty Charles II. Under the canopy were placed two tall chairs, towering above other chairs and stools that were lined up along the loggia (?), which was, naturally, waiting to be occupied.
He had built two other stands like the one erected in front of the monument to Philip IV. One was built in front of the ancient Palace of the Praetor, abutting the magnificent fountain. The other was in the plaza at the marina, in front of the noble and magnificent statue of Chiaramonte next to the Holy Offices. But around these other stages, there weren't yet any people, because of course every curious and festive person in Palermo had flocked to the plaza of the Royal Palace where the show was more solemn (right word?) as the Viceroy hosted the
It was truly not merely a show, not just an event, by an official [better word] ceremony.
[240519] On September 20th of the previous year, luminaries had composed a lasting and formal peace between France and Spain at Ryswick Castle (not the name) in Holland. The news of this peace was not not rapidly communicated by the Court at Madrid, which waited until the next January. The announcement was given in with the requisite formality for such a ceremony by the nobleman Signore Vincezo Perino, speaker of the illustrious Palermian Senate, of the court of the Royal Patrimony (???) and the Holy Office and the usual places, regis peronitubo tubis. That is, at around 10 pm in half of Italy, the sounds of the royal trumpets and fifes and timbales were heard, turning heads and in multitudinous waves, and then loggia of the Royal Palace filled with gentlemen. His Excellency and his Vicewife, with great Majesty, took their place under the canopy. As they approached, the crowd groaned, and a path opened for a cavalcade of guardians. Since the fall of the Spanish Monarchy, the pomp and famous perogatives had multiplied. And the caretaker, not content with a simple "Don (mister)," changed the certificate before reading it aloud, wroting in the word "Noble" before his name.
[11] Perhaps he was correct. If the idea of nobility Sienese society is correct, if nobility is associated with a heritage passed from father to son, then the Perinos were noble. The Office of the City Bandits was a special privilege of their sin the end of the 15th century, and they had maintained for about four centuries. So the pomp with which they exercised their office gradually increased over the years.
The noble Lord Vincenzo Perino was preceded by the city's musicians, on horseback. The fifes in front, then the timables and the the drums, and finally the trumpets. The timbale was a kind of Moorish drum, a musician carrying two, one on either side of a bow, which could be played alternately or in unison. After the trumpets came the city's constabulary with sticks in hands, their leader with a red surcoat embroidered with the Palermian Eagle over his chest and back. After that, the standard bearer carried the city's flag, a field of crimson with golden tassels, and the eagle with a gold crown. At the end he rode with the notice rolled up in his hand, grave and solemn.
[240520] The ride across the Palace's parade deck ended at the stage. There Lord (Mr) Vincenzo Perino dismounted, ascended to the stage, removed his hat, and made the three courtesies to the vicar required by custom. He then covered his head and took down the paper on which the notice was printed and read it to the crowd. As the trumpets sounded, all eyes turned to the stage, all mounths closed in silence, and the words coursed over the multitudes as she emphatically announced the peace and invoke the blessings of Heaven.
Truthfully, only the people closest could hear those words, from the vicar to the nobility, not a thing be a rose. But they did not reach the far end, who only saw the accompanying gestures the Banditore made while reading the notice, which were not important. The crowd was gathered to see the apparatus, the soldiers, the nobility, but of the peace treaty, they were not interested. Those wars happened so far away!- And while the peace reduced their taxes, it increased the wheat in the bread with good weight and a low price.
[240524]The trumpets instantly sounded three times, the soldiers fired three salvos, and the Burgundians raised their swords in a high salute. Don Vicenzo Perino then discended the stage, mounted his horse, and led his procession over the Palace's parade deck and out to go to the other two stands and repeat the announcement.
