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Bon note, mi amici... This is not a regular post, just a little idea I have for what could be a cool, cable show based on the day to day lives and intrigues of a 15th century, ruthless Italian dynasty ruling a wealthy, powerful city-state in the North. Welcome to the rebirth of KNOWLEDGE, with more plunging bodices and clingy hose than the Ballet Russe... Stone halls with courtiers and feral hounds. Great galleons plying the sea. Byzantium has just fallen to the Turks. While to the west, a rapidly rising Spain threatens to recreate the world entire.
Meet the family Monte di Ferro, or Monte Antica, as they are sometimes called, descendants of an old clan dating back to the dissolution of the Frankish Empire. They've produced popes, statesmen, domineering consorts and a secret Illuminati or two.
Franco fights to keep the ducal throne. His wife dallies with a wealthy Converso (secret Jew). His heir held for ransom on the Island of Rhodes, while a daughter, banished to a convent for 'inappropriate behavior' threatens him at every turn.
Witness the glamor and pageantry of violent, bloody horse races careening round the public square.... the masked balls of carnivale... occult magicians and alchemists... refugees fleeing a nascent Inquisition.... and enemies slowly boiled in oil and sulphur...
Then there's Zio Lorenzo (Uncle Lorenzo) a bitter, younger brother engaged as a mercenary cavalry officer for the Polish-Lithuanian magnates... or at least he was, until he returns in the company of a beautiful witch, la strega Isabella...
Like GAME OF THRONES? ... No, this is real. These things really happened...
What a day, what a day for an Auto da Fe, but that comes later...
We open as Franco oversees the torture of a spy.
Since spying was considered theft, they snip off the offender's fingers with huge, razor sharp shears, throwing the guilty digits to the lampreys, writhing in a nearby zinc lined tank. You see all manner of things in a dungeon.....
The victim screams. He trembles and nearly chokes on his own snot... They stop, leaving one fore finger and a thumb on his left hand... He fights for breath, bound to a rough, wooden 'throne.'...
Franco speaks. He says - Name your master. Name the leader. If you do that, your wounds will be bound and you can keep what you have left.
The man sits, snorts and thinks for a few moments, then he raises his head and laughs like a maniac.
Franco fights to maintain his composure. He approaches the man, stands before him, studies the pathetic fool, then suddenly boxes his ears. The laughter turns to shrieks. Franco leans down and says - I hope you can hear me, for I chose to be merciful. You may keep that finger. You may keep that thumb. I'll have something else instead...
The brutal, human ape of a torturer looks up.
Franco goes - Prepare the cucchiaio ......
And watches as the butcher heats a an old, specially shaped, rusty spoon...
Approximately ninety six heartbeats later, the butcher scoops out both eyes, turns to the duke and asks - should I finish him?
Franco says - No, let him live....
( cue the music... as the credits roll)
<<<<< KNOWLEDGE>>>>>
Just an idea, but I could get into this.
Please comment... Thank you.
click TWITTER ... to join me there, or click OLDER POST down below to see any episodes you might have missed.
Meet the family Monte di Ferro, or Monte Antica, as they are sometimes called, descendants of an old clan dating back to the dissolution of the Frankish Empire. They've produced popes, statesmen, domineering consorts and a secret Illuminati or two.
Franco fights to keep the ducal throne. His wife dallies with a wealthy Converso (secret Jew). His heir held for ransom on the Island of Rhodes, while a daughter, banished to a convent for 'inappropriate behavior' threatens him at every turn.
Witness the glamor and pageantry of violent, bloody horse races careening round the public square.... the masked balls of carnivale... occult magicians and alchemists... refugees fleeing a nascent Inquisition.... and enemies slowly boiled in oil and sulphur...
Then there's Zio Lorenzo (Uncle Lorenzo) a bitter, younger brother engaged as a mercenary cavalry officer for the Polish-Lithuanian magnates... or at least he was, until he returns in the company of a beautiful witch, la strega Isabella...
Like GAME OF THRONES? ... No, this is real. These things really happened...
What a day, what a day for an Auto da Fe, but that comes later...
We open as Franco oversees the torture of a spy.
Since spying was considered theft, they snip off the offender's fingers with huge, razor sharp shears, throwing the guilty digits to the lampreys, writhing in a nearby zinc lined tank. You see all manner of things in a dungeon.....
The victim screams. He trembles and nearly chokes on his own snot... They stop, leaving one fore finger and a thumb on his left hand... He fights for breath, bound to a rough, wooden 'throne.'...
Franco speaks. He says - Name your master. Name the leader. If you do that, your wounds will be bound and you can keep what you have left.
The man sits, snorts and thinks for a few moments, then he raises his head and laughs like a maniac.
Franco fights to maintain his composure. He approaches the man, stands before him, studies the pathetic fool, then suddenly boxes his ears. The laughter turns to shrieks. Franco leans down and says - I hope you can hear me, for I chose to be merciful. You may keep that finger. You may keep that thumb. I'll have something else instead...
The brutal, human ape of a torturer looks up.
Franco goes - Prepare the cucchiaio ......
And watches as the butcher heats a an old, specially shaped, rusty spoon...
Approximately ninety six heartbeats later, the butcher scoops out both eyes, turns to the duke and asks - should I finish him?
Franco says - No, let him live....
( cue the music... as the credits roll)
<<<<< KNOWLEDGE>>>>>
Just an idea, but I could get into this.
Please comment... Thank you.
click TWITTER ... to join me there, or click OLDER POST down below to see any episodes you might have missed.
