The time when Catherine kept the Papacy in check for twelve days
Rome, August 1484 In the night between August 12 and 13 Pope Sixtus IV died. Following the news of the Pope’s death, the streets of Rome were invaded by riots and terror from those who had suffered injustices during his pontificate. The Riario palace itself, the residence of Caterina and her husband Girolamo, was almost…
Read moreThe time when Caterina was accused of trying to poison the Pope
Rome, 1500-1501 Arriving in Rome following Valentino, Catherine was received by the pontiff in a cordial manner, and in an equally cordial manner she was proposed to sign a formal renunciation of the dominion of the lands of Romagna. Caterina flatly refused. «She is devilish and strong of spirit» – as the chronicles of the…
Read moreThe time when Catherine became prisoner and was carried away with gold chains
Rome, 26th February 1500 Almost two months after the surrender of Ravaldino and the fall of Catherine into the hands of the French armies and Cesare Borgia, Valentino returned to Rome triumphantly, effectively returning the dominion of the Romagna to his father, Pope Alexander VI. In the capital, as well as the Carnival, the Jubilee…
Read moreThe time when Caterina stood up to Niccolò Machiavelli
Forlì, July 1499 Demonstrating a certain style and experience in administering diplomatic matters, Caterina proposed to the Florentines the renewal of the conduct for her son Ottaviano and the sending of a company of crossbowmen to the city on the Arno. The Florentines were interested in remaining on good terms with Sforza, despite the fact…
Read moreThe time when Caterina hired an executioner
Forlì, May 1488 In the year of the murder of Girolamo Riario, for the first time the chronicles of the time speak about Matteo da Castelbolognese, better known as Babone. The anger for the death of husband in fact pushed the Lady of Forlì and Imola to hire a terrible executioner, the Babone, to avenge…
Read moreThe time when Caterina showed “the mold”
Forlì, 14th April 1488 On the evening of April 14, 1488, Count Riario was brutally assassinated by the Orsi and defenestrated. While the palace was being sacked, the Rocca di Ravaldino remained firmly in the hands of Tommaso Feo, who only responded to Catherine’s orders and could have bombed the city at any moment. The…
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