The last five years of the life of Girolamo Riario both proved nearly impossible, but also made Caterina his wife prove just what she was capable of and surprised all Italy. These are just a few notes from Elizabeth Lev's startling and penetrating biography of her in those tumultuous times.
Of course there has to be the reminders of the weak character of Girolamo Riario (p. 84) and an intro of Thomasso Feo. (p 85)
The story of the civil war in Rome as Sixtus IV lay dying, became a kind of awful harvest - and sowing of still more awful harvests to come - after the conflicts with Naples and Ferrara in 1482. After that, when we see Girolamo Riario again, he is in the center of the opposing Colonna and Orsini clans. Members of the Orsini family had long been allies and brought many services to Girolamo. They were to become his hated enemies however, by the time that Riario left Rome and stopped being captain general to pope Sixtus IV. Several miserable attempts at reconciling the two clans (pp 86-90) in Rome were made, both houses that still held the most power in that city, but also those that hated each other the most. A feud that went back to before the popes moved to Avignon, two centuries before was coming to a head again.
When Sixtus died, Riario had to leave the city as the 'unfavored' clans - the Colonna and their allies - poured into the city, looting and ransacking. [pp 84-90]
Caterina saw all this and took Castell San Angello as the one place in the city that could be most easily held by arms and also, as the central strategic point in the city between the Vatican buildings and the secular government buildings. Here was where she could keep the Castell's cannon pointed in either direction, and guard the all-important Ponte Vecchio. [p 91] This story and its resolution spread all over Europe. Lev's depiction is clear and direct: lines on motives, scenes, outcomes and interim periods of waiting, all show realistic colors, people, circumstances.
After, having retreated to Forli from Rome, Girolamo retired almost entirely from public appearaces. The story of Thomasso Feo picks up again as Caterina installs him as the captain of the Ravaldino. Whoever controlled this fortress controlled Forli and the lands around it. Communication had become too difficult to maintain, as trusted riders and messengers were frequently lost to the dangers ignited between so many different factions. All of these forces infiltrated throughout urban centers and across the Italian countryside. [pp 110-14]
Girolamo Riario was finally killed in 1488, in his own home. Girolamo ended up getting the Orsini sent out of the city after several betrayals. [pp 120-22] In the resulting coup against the Count, he was thrown out the window of his favorite parlour, down into the town's courtyard. Caterina, her children, her mother and sister were all captured and held as hostages: until Caterina found a solution. The harrowing account of this is masterfully told, by Lev. The result would nearly destroy the house of Orsini. [pp 125-40]
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all notes, pagination from Elizabeth Lev, The Tigress of Forli: Renaissance Italy's most courageous and notorious countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de'Medici : 2011, USA, Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt Publishing Company
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