Although not as startling and mesmerizing as “The Silence of The Lambs”, the movie “Hannibal” was a quite wide success, breaking movie records at the box office when it was released in 2001. So you might well be one of those who saw it, and I am pretty sure that some scenes of that movie did stick to your memory. If you are trying to forget them, I apologize in advance, because I am about to bring one of them back to you. It is not out of pure sensationalism, but to talk about Florence and its sometimes very dark history. And if you have not watched the movie you are warned: movie spoiler ahead!
In the movie “Hannibal” it happens that the protagonist decides to get rid of the Italian police inspector in a very spectacular way. With a quite summary trial, he accuses the inspector of having betrayed him and decides to hang him from one of the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria in Florence, while the square is full of people. The scene is even more colorful, but let us just leave it at that.
What does this say about the past of Florence? For sad as it may be, the movie references to a fact that really happened. It was the outcome of the infamous “Pazzi conjure”.
The conjure took place during the Medici dominion over Florence. As every powerful group holding great power, the Medici had a large number of enemies, some so full of hatred to have sworn their death, some even close to them and disguised as friends.
It was the Pazzi family who devised the conjure aimed at killing Lorenzo il Magnifico and his younger brother Giuliano, to overthrow their dominion and gain the power. They were among those faking friendship to the Medici, but also had the help of the pope Sisto IV and the young Raffaele Riario, the pope’s niece, declared enemies of the Medici. Riario was sent from Rome to Florence to organize the conjure with Francesco de’ Pazzi, the head of the group, and Bernardo Bandini, among others.
Other homicide attempts had failed due to unexpected circumstances, but the attempt on April 26th, 1478 hit the mark. But not quite. The two brothers were to be killed during the Mass at the Florence Duomo. They were late, and the conjurers became antsy that something might compromise their plans again. Francesco de’ Pazzi and Bernardo Bandini left the Duomo to go and fetch Lorenzo and Giuliano at home. When they saw them they hugged them to avoid any suspicion and also to make sure they were not armed or wore any protection. The brothers were as plain as white doves, except for a sword that Lorenzo had on his side, but it was a common thing and was not considered a danger.
The four men arrived at the church and sat down. Lorenzo and Giuliano were flanked by the conjurers. When the time of consecration came (Catholics knee down and hide their faces with their hands during this liturgic moment that lasts few minutes) the conjurers did not knee down, Bernardo Bandini stroke the chest of Giuliano with a knife, who fell wounded on the floor, and Francesco de’ Pazzi jumped over him finishing him with his knife. Other conjurers tried to kill Lorenzo, but only wounded him at the throat. Lorenzo pushed them away with his sword, then got shelter in the sacristy. He learned of his brother’s death only later. The Medici reprisal started immediately.
Meanwhile the Pazzi were riding their horses all over Florence trying to create a popular uprising. But the Florentines, who loved the Medici and the young Giuliano, captured Francesco de’ Pazzi and hung him from one of the windows of Palazzo Vecchio, along with other six conjurers. They all died not even an hour after the fact. Bernardo Bandini escaped to Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey), but the Medici influence arrived even there. One year later he was hanging from the Capitano Palace in Florence.
Oh by the way….The name of the police inspector in the movie Hannibal was…Rinaldo Pazzi…
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