| The Cardinal's Hat is the fascinating story of how Ippolito d'Este, the second son of Lucretia Borgia, became the Archbishop of Milan. Through his own letters and ledgers, recently uncovered in the basement of an archive in the northern Italian town of Modena, Mary Hollingsworth has pieced together a fascinating and undeniably titillating tale of a real-life Renaissance cardinal and how he achieved his ambition to acquire the coveted cardinal's hat—a road to power and wealth that had little to do with piety. The ledgers in the archive document every aspect of Ippolito's life—his meals; clothes; the men he employed as courtiers, cooks, stable boys and valets; his horses, dogs, and falcons; what he wore in bed; and what he gave his mistresses for Christmas. And it's not just Ippolito who comes to life out of the minutiae, bit his staff, as well: the page who had to pawn his doublet to settle a debt, the gardener's son who stabbed a monk, the nun who embroidered his shirts, and the goldsmith who took potshots at Ippolito's peacocks. Also found in the cardinal's letters is a remarkable record of events: his journey (with his retinue of servants and retainers in tow) across the Alps to meet the King of France; his successes at the gambling table; his visit to the King's mistress while she was in her bath; and his reception in Rome when he at last acquired his cardinal's hat. |
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