been a long time and many of them are already dead”, replied the witness.
“Who were they?”
“I'd like not tell you that”.
“Why?”
“I'm afraid you wouldn't understand”.
“Come on... you can tell me. I'm a researcher and I've seen a lot of things in my life”.
“I think I had seen more of them, but if you really want to...” the witness added.
“I do care”.
“It's okay but I warned you. Make yourself comfortable because the story isn't short”, said the witness as he prepared to tell the rest of the story.
It wasn't the first time someone had seen the ghost of Girolamo Riario in the town hall...
...the witness explained to the researcher.
“As early as 1500 it was said that the place where Riario fell remain stained of his blood forever, and almost two hundred years later, around 1650, some chroniclers even wrote about it6”.
“In the 1700s there were some who spoke of Riario's spirit or soul and in the 1800s there were some tales telling how, after his murder, his ghost wandering around looking for someone”.
“In the second half of the 1800s there was a culmination and several groups of spiritualists and Freemasons said they were in contact not only with him, but also with Caterina Sforza7 and someone else who was staying in the fortress of Ravaldino8”.
“In a few words, after his murder occurred in the room of the Nymphs, a room that was destroyed and no longer exists today, that ghost had been seen in various periods several times wandering around the palace and someone said he had seen him in the fortress of Ravaldino. Only that most people preferred to forget or keep quiet about it”.
“Even the third window on the first floor, counting from the left in front of the facade of the town hall, was in the past considered cursed by many, because someone thought it was the one where Riario was thrown down after his murder under a screaming crowd that tore his body to pieces. But that was not the real window from which Riario was thrown after his murder”.
“Where was it thrown from?” the researcher asked.
“From another window. Riario was killed in the Nymphs Room, but then his body was dragged out and taken to another room”.
“And what was the window where it was thrown from then?” the researcher interrupted him.
“The window was on the opposite side of the building facade, the third window counting from the right”.
“But that's the window where the woman said she saw the ghost dancing”, said the researcher in amazement.
“Exactly, that woman saw him in that window, only he wasn't dancing at all”, replied the witness smiling a little.
“And what was he doing then?”
“It's too early to tell that. There are many other things you should know before”, explained the witness to the researcher.
“All right, so the nymphs room wasn’t the one where he was seen dancing?” asked the researcher.
“No, that was just a window through which his body was dragged after his death. That room was destroyed by his wife Caterina Sforza after his murder and no longer exists today”.
“And after five centuries, you still know such things and details?”
“Actually, I know a more lot of it”.
“I understand, go ahead”, replied the researcher.
“Returning to the window from which he was thrown out, the spot where Riario fell on the under square was marked for a long time and many people in all ages and centuries knew this. Only today, no one remembers it anymore. Since then many people in all ages have seen his ghost and some even heard him”, explained the witness.
“How do you know all this?” asked the researcher.
“You run fast and go ahead too much. I already told you there's more to know”, replied the witness as he began to tell more.
Romagna five centuries earlier
Faenza Market in early 1488. A fencing master approached a wealthy farmer from Forlì surrounded by friends in the middle of the square. The master want delivering them a book of black prophecies to be reported in Forlì 9
The fencing master arrived in front of the farmer and his friends and asked aloud:
“Sir, I need a favour from you”.
“Who are you?” answers the farmer.
“My name is Cesare Scrimidore10 from Faenza and I am a long-time friend of Leon Cobello11, painter and chronicler of your town of Forlivio12”.
“I know it's a your friend, and I want delivering him something through you that I owed him for a long time. We will both very grateful if you do that.”
“Yes. I know the chronicler Leone Cobelli. Tell me what this is at all”, replied the farmer.
“He begged me to give him this book personally, which was given to me by a soothsayer friar minor of St. Francis, and since I don't have the opportunity to go to Forlivio, I ask you to give it for me”, said the swordsman.
“All right. Who should I tell him you are?” replied the peasant.
“Say him I am a swordsman from Faenza and I send him a book by an astrologer friar so that you know what kind of destiny is written of your lord Girolamo Riario and your lands in the heaven and in the stars”.
“But what heavenly destiny written in the stars are you talking about, sword master?” spoke a scribe of the peasant present at the speech.
“Sir, don't tense or argue with me about things decided and willed from the heights and heavenly spheres. It is all written in this book and no one can say otherwise13”.
“Reach over Sir Leon Cobello, give him this book and tell him that this is the destiny of what will happen to your lord and city and he will know what to do about it”, replied the swordsman threateningly.
“I don’t wish to discuss with you in front of everyone, but know that many of the people of Forlì already know what is happening in our lands and our Count Girolamo Riario. And they don't need soothsayers nor astrologers to know what is happening in our lands14”, replied the scribe.
“Maybe You are talking about things you do not know. You must know that this book was written ten years ago by an astrologer of these lands and
