Now why would Leo choose to stay at Gandolfo’s Villa Barberini? Looks to me like a clear case of plausible deniability as regards the infamous Roman emperor Domitian who originally built, controlled, and resided in that area, but also as regards the infamous Roman Barberini family whose vacation home has been there since the 17th century?
The story goes that the Florentine Barberini merchants were enemies of the ruling Medici family and so moved to Rome in pursuit of riches “like bees to the honey.” The Barberini crest and coat of arms features three bees (productivity, prosperity, community). Rich Cardinal Francesco (Francis) Barberini blasphemously bought high positions in the government and in the Church for his family and friends. In 1623, Maffeo (Matthew, aka the moneychanger) Barberini became Pope Urban VIII, although the election was widely believed to have been rigged. His reign was dominated by self-aggrandizing constructions, ruinous extravances in the arts, and flagrant Nepotism. Urban, having some 105 million in gold, promoted his brothers and nephews to the Cardinalate (all of whom were exiled as imposters after his death).
Now why would Leo choose to stay at Gandolfo’s Villa Barberini? Looks to me like a clear case of plausible deniability as regards the infamous Roman emperor Domitian who originally built, controlled, and resided in that area, but also as regards the infamous Roman Barberini family whose vacation home has been there since the 17th century?
The story goes that the Florentine Barberini merchants were enemies of the ruling Medici family and so moved to Rome in pursuit of riches “like bees to the honey.” The Barberini crest and coat of arms features three bees (productivity, prosperity, community). Rich Cardinal Francesco (Francis) Barberini blasphemously bought high positions in the government and in the Church for his family and friends. In 1623, Maffeo (Matthew, aka the moneychanger) Barberini became Pope Urban VIII, although the election was widely believed to have been rigged. His reign was dominated by self-aggrandizing constructions, ruinous extravances in the arts, and flagrant Nepotism. Urban, having some 105 million in gold, promoted his brothers and nephews to the Cardinalate (all of whom were exiled as imposters after his death).