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I leaped at the chance of reading about revolutionary Genova from where such immortal bards as Fabrizio De André hailed. Where the masses chased out the Fascists and Nazis and consigned the city to the Allies.

Naturally, a word about the unfortunate conspiracy of Gian Luigi Fieschi in 1547 against the tyrant Andrea Doria would have been appreciated by my handle, Jean-Francois Paul de Gondi, cardinal de Retz, who wrote a book on the episode at the precious age of 18.

After reading the manuscript, Cardinal Richelieu remarked, "Here's a dangerous spirit." And indeed de Gondi lived up to the compliment.

Genova also has one of the most stunning monumental cemeteries on earth, Stagliano.

by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Fri Feb 20th, 2009 at 12:08:59 PM EST
As it happened I thought about including that conspiracy - one of many - it was in Howard's book. As I remember it (I'm tired), Doria didn't believe it when someone warned him about it (like Stalin and warnings about the Nazi invasion). Poor Fieschi, trying to board a ship, slipped on a plank and fell into the sea, wearing armour he sank to the bottom. Leaderless the conspirators gave up and fled. Doria was ruthless in revenge, had some beheaded and had Fieschi's body thrown back into the harbour.

That do ? :-)

Cemeteries ? - plenty of time for them - much later - I hope :-)

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.

by Ted Welch (tedwelch-at-mac-dot-com) on Fri Feb 20th, 2009 at 12:47:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I suppose Count Fieschi would have been as despotic as the Dorias had he managed his coup. Nipped in the bud, he ended up being depicted as either a hero or a lout according to the author's political credo. De Gondi managed to avoid slipping on a plank at the least, lead a fascinating life and die of old age. If Fieschi was an adolescent construct for de Gondi, he quickly outdid him.
by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Fri Feb 20th, 2009 at 05:02:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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