In The Lion's Sign

Certainly the bricks that delimit this arch are older than the rest, have a more irregular appearance, are darker. Perhaps they are from Roman times...

Andrea rubbed his hands satisfied, breathed on them to warm them a bit and looked around for the right tools, leaving the pickaxe. He tried to clean the hypothetical opening, as much as possible with his bare hands, helping himself with a small folding hoe shovel to remove the debris, then finishing the work with a brush to remove dust and soil. Little by little, came to light a wooden door, quite well preserved, closed with a latch. It would not have been difficult to open it or break it down but, not knowing what he would find beyond and it was by now dusk, he decided for that day he could be satisfied and he could suspend the work to resume the next day.

Better go home and recheck the radar readings. I would not want to have any surprises. And then better to get help from someone. One can never be too careful in these cases. Never open that door to cause collapses. At which point all the work of months and months would be blessed.

He gathered his tools, put his work bag over his shoulder, came out of the excavations and headed down to Costa Baldassini to reach his home. The cozy warmth of his home and the smell of smoke from the cigarettes consumed by his companion put him in a good mood. He threw the bag on the ground near the entrance, tried as much as possible to free his shoes from the mud and ran up the stairs. He found Lucia asleep, with one arm and the head resting on the living room table, the notebook lit in front of her and the cigarette butt still smoking in the ashtray. He caressed her hair gently, evoking her awakening.

«My God, Andrea! I collapsed. I must have been really tired. I worked all day trying to interpret a new document, which I found here among the paperwork in your library and which refers to the period when your ancestor Andrea Franciolini went to fight in the Netherlands in support of the King of France against Emperor Charles V of Habsburg. Aside from the politically entangled period, for which the pope was now a partisan for France, now a partisan for the empire, the chronology of dates in this document seems strange. And then there is this representation, which seems much older than the times we are discussing. It is a lion who is lying, lying down, engraved on stone, it seems to me. I don’t understand what it means: it is neither the rampant lion symbol of Jesi, nor the lion of San Marco, symbol of the Venetian Republic. It looks more like an icon, a high-relief on stone, coming from some dwelling or from some construction of Roman times, almost similar to those decorative tiles that adorn the outline of the portal of this palace.»

«As you know by now, those tiles were decorations of an ancient Roman temple that stood in this place in antiquity, and that were found during the excavations of the foundations.»

«Exactly. And so my idea is that whoever designed this illustration was inspired by a decoration of the ancient Roman amphitheatre, which stood more or less between Piazza Colocci and Via Roccabella. After all the lions were used by the Romans, inside the arenas, in the fights with the gladiators.»

«And they often made a mess of it. What horrible shows! And yet at the time they were appreciated by the population. In any case, since we are on the subject, I must tell you that just a little while ago perhaps I identified a passage that could lead to the remains of this ancient amphitheatre. I managed to isolate a wooden door, at a lower level than the rest of the excavations, which in my opinion should have given access to the cellars of the ancient Palazzo del Governo. And if the accounts are correct, those cellars should correspond with ancient environments referable to some areas of the amphitheatre.»

«Have you tried to open the door?»

«No, I need the proper tools and someone to assist me. I don’t want to cause a collapse.»

«And who do you want to find as assistants? We are close to the Christmas holidays, all your archaeologist friends have disappeared for a while now and the city administration has already decided to close the excavations soon!»

«I think one person is enough. And I believe that whoever is right for me is now here in front of me.»

«Oh, forget about getting me involved in another one of your whimsical adventures just because you’re leveraging the fact I’m in love with you», Lucia replied, indignant. «I have no desire to be buried alive among the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre. Besides, you know very well that I suffer from claustrophobia.»

«I know», Andrea said. «But I also know that your curiosity as a scholar manages to prevail over all fears. You have demonstrated this in the past. And if you think that down there you could find the original icon representing that laying lion...»

«Hey, you think you can always get me to do whatever you want!»

Lucia stretched out a nervous hand towards the cigarette packet and took one out to light it. She remained with the cigarette in her mouth and the lighter lit in her hand, interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. On the display appeared a cell phone number, not saved in the phonebook and preceded by the international prefix +49.

Lucia and Andrea exchanged a questioning glance, then he beckoned her to answer. Lucia activated the speakerphone, so that Andrea could also listen to the conversation. On the other end of the phone, a male voice began to speak in almost perfect Italian, although with a marked accent on the letter er.

«I speak with Countess Lucia Baldeschi-Balleani?»

«To serve you! To what do I owe the honour...?»

«Let me present myself! I am His Imperial and Royal Highness, the Archduke Sigismondo of Habsburg Lorena, titular Grand Duke of Tuscany and Grand Master of the Sacred Military Order of Santo Stefano Pope and Martyr.»

«Damn!», Andrea escape in a whisper, not to let his voice to the microphone of the telephone. «Maybe he decided to continue to finance our archaeological research!»

Lucia put her index finger in front of her nose, to tell her companion to be quiet.

«It’s a pleasure for me learning of your interest in my person. To what do I owe, if I may ask, this honour?»

«I see that you have received an excellent education, and for that I must congratulate you and your family. But let’s come to the argument. You see, according to the article 5 of the present Statutes of the Order of St. Stephen, and in accordance with the ancient Statutes of the Order itself, every year I choose three noblemen to be raised to the rank of Bailiff Grand Cross of Justice, in consideration of high merits acquired in life, work and study. Never before this honour has been reserved to a woman. But, seen the results of your research on the origins and history of your noble family, I felt for this year to make a break from the rule. And I decided that you are the one chosen by me to be named Knight of the Grand Cross of Bailiff. Therefore, I officially invite you to the investiture ceremony, which will be held in Florence on the day of Holy Christmas.»

«But, Christmas will be just in a fortnight! I have commitments, both work and personal. You know, my fiancé, my family», Lucia tried to take time, a bit confused.

«Don’t worry. Come to Florence with your fiancé or other members of your family. Clearly, the trip for you is entirely at my expense. I am already e-mailing you the reservation for the train Frecciarossa Ancona - Florence, round trip, first class. I look forward to it!», and hung up, without even giving her time to answer.

Andrea and Lucia looked at each other with astonished air, then they burst into laughter.

«Knight of Gran Croce del Balì! My respects, Lady!», Andrea declaimed with mocking air, bowing in a bow. «I think I have enough reasons to begin to be jealous. At my expenses, I will accompany you to Florence, there isn’t to be trusted.»

«But come on! His Imperial and Royal Excellency will certainly be an old caryatid», Lucia replied with an amused air.

«His Highness, not His Excellency», Andrea ran. «In any case, the voice seemed quite youthful. I don’t trust it, I don’t trust it. I will go with you, if you decide to go, whether you ever let yourself go alone! And then we can’t spend Christmas one away from the other, there’s not even a chance. Florence is a beautiful city, one of the most romantic cities in Italy. Better not to waste the opportunity to give you the most exciting kiss of your life over the Arno river, on the Ponte Vecchio.»

«Oh, and since when have you become romantic, you who have always been a pile of muscles and stubbornness?»

«Well, since you made me jealous!», Andrea smiled. «But beyond that, Florence is a beautiful city of art and we could combine the useful with the delightful. After all, someone wrote, “Beauty will save the world” or am I wrong?»

«Fedor Dostoevsky in “The Idiot”. Before you go out of your way to pronounce a quotation, try to be sure you know what it is all about, otherwise, rather than the figure of the scholar, you’ll do the following...»

«...Of the idiot!», he broke out in a laugh, approached Lucia, held her in a warm embrace, brought his lips closer to her perfumed face and began to kiss her.

«The last word is always yours, eh?», Lucia managed to pronounce, while she was panting, trying to catch her breath and taking off her blouse. She felt Andrea’s hands go looking for the bra buckle to unbuckle it, then she saw him take off his shirt to remain shirtless too. The urgency of the bodies in seeking mutual contact dragged them into the bedroom, where fresh sheets welcomed the two lovers now completely naked.

«Beauty will save the world», Andrea repeated, making her understand this time the allusion was addressed only to her.

 

 CHAPTER 7

Riding in the Po Valley in that season was considered by Andrea almost worse than sailing in the open sea. Accustomed to the hills and mountains of his beloved lands, he would never have expected to advance by leagues and leagues in a completely flat terrain. But the worst element was the humidity, the fog that made you lose your sense of direction, so much was thick in certain places, and infiltrated under clothes until you get to torment the bones. Not to mention the paths, which often got lost in the dense bush or led straight to swamps and marshes, impossible to cross, long and endless turns, if not to go back on their own steps to choose another branch of the road. And luckily the two soldiers who accompanied him were practical of the places, otherwise Andrea would have already given up to reach Ferrara, throwing himself on the ground and remaining at the mercy of the traps of the wild nature of the Eridano plain. Finally, coming out from the wood of Porporana, a wide stretch of cultivated countryside extended, towards the village of Pallantone, to the bank of the river Po. After midday, the sun had succeeded in triumphing over the humidity, and so Andrea noticed, not without disappointment, that without protection from the forest and fog, he and the two armigers who accompanied him were completely out in the open and easy target of any malicious attackers. He didn’t even in time to finish this consideration, that two knights strangely barded overcame them of great career, lifting mud splashes and brandishing over their heads daggers a little shorter than those that Andrea was used to use.

«Who are they?», Andrea asked worried.

«Lansquenets. The swords you have seen are called Lanzichenette, or Katzbalger. The latter term, in their language, means cat fur. Someone means that, being the bearers of this weapon of low social extraction, they are unable to buy themselves a real scabbard and therefore use the skin of a domestic feline in place of it. But it is not so. Many Lansquenets, while fighting as mercenary soldiers, belong to the rich bourgeoisie or the Teutonic nobility. The term Katzbalger actually refers to the ferocious ferocity with which they fight. In battle they are able to throw themselves between the first lines of the enemy pike men, passing under the forest of the protruding spears and vibrating those swords like cleavers, in order to break them. But they have no qualms about mutilating their opponents either, aiming at parts of their body not protected by armour. Listen to me, my Lord, they are dangerous people. Better to stay away from them.»

«If they are as dangerous as you report, how come they are free to roam our lands like this?»

«They are mercenaries, and therefore free to put themselves in the pay of the Lord who pays them better. The worst of them are those paid in double money. They are the most ruthless, trained to fight on the front line or in areas considered high risk. And therefore they are paid with double pay.»

«Doesn’t the term “double money” mean that they have no scruples about putting themselves at the service of two masters at the same time, infiltrating as traitors or spies between the ranks of the enemy?»

«Maybe even! I have told you so. These are people who are not to be trusted. But go on!», Fulvio, the trustworthy armiger, continued. «The village of Pallantone is renowned for its taverns. They cook their game like nowhere else that I know of...»

«...And they accompany it with an excellent sparkling red wine. A true delicacy», Geraldo, the other armiger who had never spoken until then, added.

Andrea, crossing the streets of the village, noticed several signs of inns and taverns, but his companions headed safely to the main square, where a flag sign indicated in Gothic letters the Guardians’ Inn of the embankments. In fact, from the square you could distinctly hear the sound of water rushing through the floodplain just behind the buildings on that side. Andrea and his companions tied the mounts to the rings fixed in the outer wall of the tavern, made sure to have swords in their sheaths and entered the room. The room was quite crowded and the smell of game cooked in brine was mixed with the smell of sweat emanating from patrons. A plump man, with a robbed face and a beaded forehead of sweat, with a white sinus tied around his waist, came to meet them and accompanied them to a free table.

«What do you gentlemen like?»

«Bring us a good pie of quails and partridges and rock partridge. And a nice mug of Lambrusco for each one of us», Fulvio ordered, being the spokesman for the whole group.

He didn’t have time to finish saying these words, the door was opened wide in a bad way with a kick from the outside by an individual of strong tonnage, followed immediately behind by another man of his own ream. Both men were holding the sword in their hands, rather than lined up. Realizing the presence of the Lansquenets, most of those present got up from the tables, trying to earn their way out, in order to avoid unnecessary skirmishes with men known for their arrogance and arrogance. More than one man, near the threshold, stumbled by chance into the boot of one of them. The man rolling on the ground didn’t even have the courage to face the Lansquenet’s gaze. He got up, shrugged off the dust and walked out of the tavern with his legs up. Andrea, Fulvio and Geraldo remained at their posts, staring at the newcomers almost with an air of challenge. Those, on the moment, pretended not to even pay attention. They took their place at a table left free by the previous patrons, banging their Katzbalger with thunder over it. One of them grabbed a Lambrusco jug, carried it to his mouth, swallowed ample swigs of it, and finally burped loudly.

«Scheisse! This wine is shit. Innkeeper, bring us some beer.»

«You know very well we don’t have beer where we live», he replied almost stammering the man with the stealing face and the sweating that was increasing considerably. «If you don’t like red wine, I can go down to the cellar and get you a good fresh white. I assure you that you will not regret it!»

«You will regret it, that you have not served us beer!»

One of the two Lansquenets jumped up and grabbed the man from behind, holding a mighty arm around his neck. Andrea saw the waiter’s face turn more and more red, lifted off the ground by the considerable height of his torturer, his feet dangling a palm from the floor. If he had not intervened, that man would soon have suffocated to death.

«That’s enough!», Andrea exclaimed, standing up. «If you want to start a fight, do not take it out on an unarmed person. There is no fun. Fight as men, and not as cowards, against those who are as armed as you are.»

The Lansquenet, caught off guard, trained his grip, allowing the innkeeper to catch his breath. But his friend, who had been sitting at his table until that moment, grabbed his sword and headed threateningly towards Andrea. The latter, extracting his sword from its sheath, tried to study at a glance his opponent.

Many muscles, but little brain. I have to play smart. Let’s see. The sword is strong, and held with only one hand. But the guard is peculiar, consisting of an iron rod shaped in the shape of eight, like that of the great battle swords. I can parry its slice down, but I couldn’t let the weapon slip out of his hand. I would be unbalanced, at that point, and the crossed return would leave me no escape. In the blink of an eye, with a single blow, he could pull my head off my neck. And goodbye Andrea!

«Why are you meddling in things that don’t concern you, friend? It’s not good manners to interrupt a discussion in which one has no voice. Especially for a nobleman who has embroidered the design of a rampant lion on his tunic. Come on, show me how much of a lion you have in your blood!»

Only the set wooden table separated Andrea from Lansquenet. Fulvio and Geraldo had got up from their chairs and were heading towards the other, energetic man, in order to prevent him from grasping the sword too. They were quick to grab him under his arm, one on each side, forcing him to abandon his grip on the innkeeper. Then Fulvio pulled out a stylet and put it against his neck, in order to make it harmless. Andrea, for his part, saw his opponent lift the Katzbalger. He put himself with his dagger in a defensive position, waiting for the slash to be parried. He waited for the falling blow but, making a feint at the last moment, allowed the sword of the Lansquenet to continue its trajectory and, by inertia, to drag behind the arm that held it. The Katzbalger’s sharp edge went to stick it on the table, splitting it in two. The Teuton, unbalanced, fell to the ground together with his sword. Lambrusco’s jug, flown in the air, drew an arched trajectory, falling and crashing right on his head. Around the Lansquenet, a red patch of wine and blood was formed. Andrea took advantage of the momentary dizziness of the adversary to come over him and lean the tip of the sword against the nape of the neck.

«What’s your name, friend?», he asked him, lifting him by the arm and returning him to an upright position, but without lowering his guard, continuing to threaten him with the tip of the sword.

«Franz», the other answered.

«Well, Franz. You are lucky for today. I keep your sword and spare your life. But don’t get in my way anymore, because I won’t be as lenient with you a second time», and so he pushed him towards the exit, turned him around and kicked him out with a kick in the ass, sending him eating the dust of the square in front. It did not go as well for his companion, who lay lifeless on the ground in the pool of his own blood. Fulvio had not hesitated to sink the blade of the stylet at the slightest attempt of his opponent to escape from the grasp.

The man with the stolen face was watching the scene stunned. In the meantime another innkeeper had left the kitchen, very similar to the first one, although with less hair on his head, most likely his brother.

«What have you done?», the latter intervened. «You are insane! We’re accustomed to the harassment of these handsome people. We let them vent, they get drunk, they do some damage, they mess something up, but then they leave, and for days and days we live in peace. Now instead...»

«Two days will not pass that nothing will remain of this place but smoking ashes», his brother replied, massaging his painful neck. «And the guardians of the embankments will be found at the bottom of the floodplain, finished who knows how!»

«I imagine that the guardians of the embankments are you two», Andrea said, addressed to the two innkeepers. «Meanwhile, at the bottom of the floodplain let’s throw this cheek!»

«In fact, my Lord, it was not a good idea to let that Franz free. He will surely come back here in force and demand his revenge. And we will no longer be here. It will be the two of them who will pay the price» Fulvio intervened, addressing a nod to Geraldo, who helped him to pull up the corpse, drag it to the window and throw it into the canal that ran behind the inn.

Andrea, Fulvio and Geraldo emerged from the windowsill, observing with satisfied air how the strong current was carrying away the inert body of the Lansquenet.

«I’ll find a way to offer adequate protection to our guests», Andrea said. «I’ll talk about it with the Duke of Ferrara. I am sure he’ll send some of his guards here to protect them. Fulvio, Geraldo! Let’s go. Let’s try to reach the city before nightfall.»

The Guardians of the embankments paused at the entrance of the inn, watching the three knights move away until they disappeared into the afternoon fog. In their hearts they knew that no guard of the Duke of Este would ever arrive in that remote place to offer protection to two innkeepers. All that remained was to bolt the place and move away from Pallantone. Their lives were at stake.

 

 CHAPTER 8

Bernardino went out in front of his store with a copy of his last work in his hand. He wanted to see it in daylight, to see how the colour illustrations had come. With that illustrated edition of the Divine Comedy he had surpassed not only his predecessor Federico Conti, but also himself. Bernardino had taken up the Florentine edition of the poem of the great poet Dante Alighieri. He knew that in the year of the Lord 1481, Lorenzo Pierfrancesco De’ Medici had commissioned Sandro Botticelli to create one hundred plates illustrating scenes from the poem. Of these one hundred, Botticelli had made only nineteen, which had been engraved on plates, in order to be printed, by the engraver Baccio Baldini. Since the work was not completed by Sandro Botticelli, the Florentine edition, which had a white space at the beginning of each song, was eventually marketed without images. The dream of being able to realize a princely edition of the Divine Comedy, with all the illustrations printed in colour, had been cultivated by Bernardino for years and years. He had managed to have the missing plates drawn, in the same style as Botticelli, by some Benedictine monks of the Abbey of St. Urbano, in the country of Apiro. But the real master’s touch, which had allowed him to see his dream come true, was that of having had some of his trusted collaborators trace the engravings by the Florentine Baccio Baldini. The latter had been given for dead in Florence in 1487, at the age of fifty-one. Another thirty-five years had passed and, therefore, if he had been alive, he would have been over eighty years old. A rare, but not impossible thing, Bernardino had always said. And in fact, it was known that his workshop continued to produce very fine engraving work on gold and copper, which could not have been the work of his young students. Behind it was his hand, which continued to work in the shadows. Why he wanted to be believed dead, even if the hypotheses were very much, no one knew for sure. Someone said that he wanted to escape the creditors to whom he owed exorbitant sums. Others said that he feared Botticelli’s wrath, because he had not met his expectations in making the engravings of the plates with which some of his works were to be printed to decorate the poem by Dante Alighieri. The fact is that the nineteen plates produced at the time had remained in the engraver’s workshop and had not been printed. Not only that, but they were no longer claimed by the Medici who had commissioned them, nor by Botticelli, who had conceived the drawings.