#Carlo Giuliano

[it-s-only-a-game]

[footicons]

corinthians icons

[marcogiovenale]

oggi, 13 aprile, a genova: presentazione di "da una non breve unità di tempo", di sandro ricaldone

cliccare per ingrandire RICALDONE A VILLA CROCE OGGI, giovedì 13 aprile, alle ore 17:30, al Museo di arte contemporanea di Villa Croce (via Ruffini, Genova) sarà presentato il volume di Sandro Ricaldone Da una non breve unità di tempo (Il Canneto editore, pagine 525, 30 euro). All’incontro, introdotto da Francesca Serrati, parteciperanno Giorgia Barzetti, Stefano Bigazzi, Nicolò De Mari, Giuliano…

[frostedmagnolias]

Renaissance revival pendant on chain

mid-late 19th century

gold, amethyst, enamel, pearl, diamond

by Carlo Giuliano

The MET

[perfettamentechic]

1 ottobre … ricordiamo …

1 ottobre … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic

2018: Charles Aznavour, nome d’arte di Chahnourh Varinag Aznavourian, è stato un cantautore, attore e diplomatico francese di origine armena. La maggior parte delle canzoni di Aznavour parlano d’amore e nella sua lunga carriera ne ha scritte oltre 1000. (n. 1924) 2013: Giuliano Gemma, attore italiano. Giuliano arrivò al cinema giovanissimo come stuntman per le sue doti atletiche.  (n.…

[jewellery-box]

Pendant brooch in the form of a Gothic Cross

Carlo Giuliano, Italian

ca. 1880

The MET Museum

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Sapphire brooch by Carlo Giuliano, late 1800s.

[detournementsmineurs]

"Pair of Earrings" by carlo Giuliano (circa 1865-70) and "Marie-Anne Detourbay, later Comtesse de Loynes" by Amuary Duval (1862) presented in “A History of Jewellery: Bedazzled (part 5: 19th Century)” by Beatriz Chadour-Sampson - International Jewellery Historian and Author - for the V&A Academy online, march 2024.

[the-jewel-catalogue]

Giuliano Necklace

The late Queen had another necklace that she wore only on private occasions. Made around the turn of the century by the Revivalist jewellers Carlo and Arthur Giuliano, this long openwork gold necklace is set with multicoloured sapphires and zircons and decorated with green enamel leaves.'

[it-s-only-a-game]

[princesssarisa]

Opera on Youtube 4

L'Elisir d'Amore (The Elixir of Love)

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, 1967 (Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Scotto; conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni; no subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1981 (Luciano Pavarotti, Judith Blegen; conducted by Nicola Rescigno; Spanish subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Metropolitan Opera, 1991 (Luciano Pavarotti, Kathleen Battle; conducted by James Levine; English subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Vienna State Opera, 2005 (Rolando Villazón, Anna Netrebko; conducted by Alfred Eschwé; English subtitles)

Theatro da Paz, Brazil, 2013 (Atalla Ayan, Carmen Monarcha; conducted by Emiliano Patarra; Brazilian Portuguese subtitles)

Teatro Manoel, Malta, 2015 (Cliff Zammit Stevens, Shoushik Barsoumian; conducted by Philip Walsh; English subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2017 (Dmitry Korchak, Olga Peretyatko; conducted by Marco Armiliato; no subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Ópera de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, 2017 (Ramón Vargas, Olivia Gorra; conducted by Guido Maria Guida; Spanish subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2018 (Benjamin Bernheim, Andrea Carroll; conducted by Frédéric Chaslin; no subtitles)

San Francisco Opera, 2023 (Pene Pati, Slávka Zámečníková; conducted by Ramón Tebar; English subtitles)

Hänsel & Gretel

Vittorio Cottafavi studio film, 1957 (Fiorenza Cossotto, Jan Poleri; conducted by Nino Sanzogno; sung in Italian with Italian subtitles)

August Everding studio film, 1981 (Brigitte Fassbaender, Edita Gruberova; conducted by Georg Solti; English subtitles)

Leipzig Opera, 1981 (Annelott Damm, Steffi Ullmann; conducted by Horst Gurgel; no subtitles)

Julliard Opera Center, 1997 (Jennifer Marquette, Sari Gruber; conducted by Randall Behr; English subtitles)

Opera Australia, 1992 (Suzanne Johnston, Christine Douglas; conducted by Johannes Fritzsch; sung in English)

Vienna State Opera, 2015 (Daniel Sindram, Ileana Tonca; conducted by Christian Thielmann; English subtitles)

Pacific Northwest Opera, 2015 (Sylvia Szadovszki, Ksenia Popova; conducted by Clinton Smith; sung in English with English subtitles)

Scottish Opera, 2020 (Kitty Whately, Rhian Lois; conducted by David Parry; sung in English with English subtitles)

Eklund Opera Program, 2020 (Christine Lee, Anna Whiteway; conducted by Nicholas Carthy; sung in English with English subtitles)

Amarillo Opera, 2021 (Sarah Beckham-Turner, Patricia Westley; conducted by Carolyn Watson; English subtitles)

Turandot

Mario Lanfranchi studio film, 1958 (Lucilla Udovick, Franco Corelli; conducted by Fernando Previtali; English subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 1983 (Eva Marton, José Carreras; conducted by Lorin Maazel; no subtitles)

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1986 (Gwyneth Jones, Franco Bonisolli; conducted by Jacques Delacote; English subtitles)

Forbidden City, Beijing, 1998 (Giovanna Casolla, Sergej Larin; conducted by Zubin Mehta; no subtitles)

Teatro alla Scala; 2001 (Alessandra Marc, Nicola Martinucci; conducted by Georges Prêtre; French subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2009 (Anna Shafajinskaia, Fabio Armiliato; conducted by Giuliano Carella; English subtitles)

Chorégies d'Orange 2012 (Lise Lindstrom, Roberto Alagna; conducted by Michel Plasson; French subtitles)

Wichita Grand Opera, 2015 (Zvetelina Vassileva, Ricardo Tamura; conducted by Martin Mazik; no subtitles)

Teatro de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, 2017 (Gabriela Georgieva, Carlos Galván; conducted by Enrique Patrón de Rueda; Spanish subtitles)

Opera Hong Kong, 2018 (Oksana Dyka, Alfred Kim; conducted by Paolo Olmi; English subtitles)

Eugene Onegin

Prince Regent Theatre, Munich, 1965 (Hermann Prey, Ingeborg Bremert; conducted by Joseph Keilberth; sung in German; no subtitles)

Paris Opera, 1982 (Benjamin Luxon, Galina Vishnevskaya; conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich; French subtitles)

Kirov Opera, 1984 (Sergei Leiferkus, Tatiana Novikova; conducted by Yuri Temirkanov; English subtitles)

Chicago Lyric Opera, 1985 (Wolfgang Brendel, Mirella Freni; conducted by Bruno Bartoletti; Spanish subtitles)

Petr Weigl film, 1988 (Michal Docolomanský dubbed by Bernd Weikl, Magda Vásáryová dubbed by Teresa Kubiak; conducted by Georg Solti; English subtitles)

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 1998 (Vladimir Glushchak, Orla Boylan; conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky; English subtitles) – Act I, Act II, Act III

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Valencia, 2011 (Artur Rucinski, Kristine Opolais; conducted by Omer Meir Wellber; no subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Teatro Comunale di Bologna, 2014 (Artur Rucinski, Amanda Echalaz; conducted by Aziz Shokhakimov; English subtitles)

Mariinsky Theatre, 2015 (Andrei Bondarenko, Yekaterina Goncharova; conducted by Valery Gergiev; French subtitles)

Livermore Valley Opera, 2019 (Morgan Smith, Antonina Chehovska; conducted by Alex Katsman; English subtitles)

[littlweirdostuffwritesworld]

The golden sun

Summary: Many things have happened to the marriage of Francesco de Pazzi and Andrea Sabini, the speech of Jacopo de Pazzi and the appearance of the most talked about woman in Florence, Tamara D'Amato cousin of the bride.

"I can't believe Francesco de Pazzi is getting married," Giuliano said

"So it's true that a good woman can change you," Botticelli joked

"Apparently" Lorenzo took a sip of the wine looking at the new couple, you could see that they were in love.

"Our poor Lorenzo is jealous," Giuliano said

"What? Jealous of Francesco? Never, I'm just happy that he's no longer influenced by Jacopo Pazzi"

"Of course, it's not the fact that you feel a little lonely"

"Not at all, if I want to marry someone I can choose any lady" he laughed

"Sure, what about the woman mother introduced you?"

"Clarice Orsini, Carlo was unable to pessuader her and she became a nun" her brother looked at him for a moment and it seemed that he was about to explode with laughter.

"Don't try to laugh, and let's talk about you instead"

"There is nothing to talk about, because you are doing the same thing" Lorenzo was about to reply when their sister arrived.

"Bianca where were you?"

"With the bride's cousin Lucia D'Amato" she explained and pointed at the young woman

"Do you think the d'Adamato will show up?" Botticelli asked

"If they show up this will be the most remembered wedding in Florence" Giuliano commented, across the hall The Pazzi brothers were talking.

"Congratulations brother" Gugliemo Pazzi was really proud of his brother, even if he did not want to say it, he did not expect Francesco to fall in love, and he had gotten into oace with the obsession of the Medici

"Thank you but if it wasn't for you I don't think I'd be here to toast"

"You did the same thing with me and Bianca, you are my brother this is the least" it seemed that the Pazzi family was going through a period of rebirth and prosperity.

While everyone was celebrating Jacopo Pazzi entered it seemed that he had drunk too much he was drunk.

"Congratulations to my nephew Francesco" he applauded

"How come you are all silent, I thought this was a wedding" he sobbed

"And it is, Messer Pazzi you can stay as long as you want" Andrea said approaching the man

"No more titles we are family now" he smiled, a trail of chills rose on the back of the groom.

"Do you think he has something in mind?" Guglielmo whispered

"I'm going to see" he no longer needed to muster up the courage to talk to his uncle.

"Uncle I'm glad you came"

"I would never miss my brother's son's wedding"

and the man goes away and approached other nobles.

"My love are you okay?" he said

" Yes why?"

"Jacopo Pazzi is never happy for anyone, and now that his most precious pawn is dispossessed he is afraid that I will be against him"

"Honey don't worry, the only thing I can tell you is to follow your mind and your heart, and if you don't know what to do, talk to your brother and your wife" she advised.

"Yes" the major domus interrupted the couple

"Madonna Pazzi, Tamara D'Amato has arrived" he announced

"Well thank you, honey you will meet my best friend"

"I can't believe it, Tamara D'Amato is not ashamed, she shows up here after having canceled her engagement" a noble woman said

"And with that scar on her face who will marry her?" they snickered

"I advise you to ceaseyour gossiping, Tamara D'Amato is still part of the D'Amato family if she wants your heads, she will have them, if you insult Tamara, you insult Venice and Florence" Lucrezia Donati said, and two women stopped talking

The most talked about woman in Florence entered the room and brought a stir and shock with her.

"Congratulations cousin, may you have a prosperous life together," she smiled

"Oh Tamara, your presence here is the best gift" Andrea hugged her

"I would never miss my cousin and best friend's wedding"

"So the rumors are true, she is really a beautiful woman" Bianca said, without taking her eyes off the woman, she had seen noble women but there was something about Tamara, maybe it was her red dress or the long braid that gathered her hair almost to the floor.

"It's not just a beautiful face, his father Leonardo D'Amato has always believed he was raising his children despite being a son or daughter, the woman excels in economics, Latin, Greek, Italian and helps her father" their mother Lucrezia said

"She seems to be a great woman" Giuliano commented

"A woman worthy of being a wife" the mother winked and left

"Mother will never change"

"If it weren't for that scar she could be the most beautiful woman in Florence …" Botticelli said

"A beautiful woman is always a beautiful woman" Lorenzo interrupted

"Are my eyes deceiving or Lorenzo is quite interested in Tamara D'Amato?" the painter teased

"No, but the D'Amato family is a powerful and rich family, our father and Leonardo were about to make an agreement for the sale of silk" he explained, he continued to look at her and it was clear that even with the "scandals" she was charismatic woman.

The woman was approaching the group, the closer she gets, the more Lorenzo looked at her, he had noticed that she had a mole near her left eye.

"Good evening family de Medici and Signor Botticelli" she greeted

"Lady D'Amato is a pleasure to meet you this evening" Bianca greeted shyly, respected the woman

"I'm sorry for your father's death, he was a good man, may he rest in peace"

"I knew that our fathers were friends, my father is getting old unfortunately things have left certain things pending"

"We, their children can continue what they were doing"

"Interesting, I hope we could" before leaving the music began

"Dama would you like to dance with me?" he offered himself and gives her a little grin and accepted her hand. The music started and everybody was ready to dance

"Messer Lorenzo"

" Yes?"

"If you wanted to talk about business, it was enough to talk to my brother Benedetto, there was no need to invite me to dance"

"I didn't invite you for business, I'm just a man who can't resist a beautiful woman" Tamara laughed

" Is this how the famous Lorenzo de Medici steals the hearts of the ladies of Florence?" she smiled

" Steal? No my lady a thief steal, I'm a keeper, the heart of the lady I will love is more precious than diamonds and gold" he whispered on her ear.

" So you are poet too?"

" I'm a man who loves the art, I heard your family supports many artists" he said

" Yes my family support artists, from painters,writers, poets and musicians. House D'Amato is not only selling tessile but we make clothes out of them" she explained, and with the last twirl the dance ended, but their hands was still intertwined.

" I would like to see you" he blurted out

" I mean I would like to see more of your family products" he corrected himself blushing

" Of course our shops are always open" she smiled, bowed and walked away. Leaving the young Lord following her with his blue eyes.

[marcogiovenale]

genova, 13 aprile, presentazione di "da una non breve unità di tempo", di sandro ricaldone

cliccare per ingrandire RICALDONE A VILLA CROCE Giovedì 13 aprile, alle ore 17:30, al Museo di arte contemporanea di Villa Croce (via Ruffini, Genova) sarà presentato il volume di Sandro Ricaldone Da una non breve unità di tempo (Il Canneto editore, pagine 525, 30 euro). All’incontro, introdotto da Francesca Serrati, parteciperanno Giorgia Barzetti, Stefano Bigazzi, Nicolò De Mari, Giuliano…

[valentina-lauricella]

Leopardi a Bologna

«Il mezzo più efficace di ottener fama è quello di far credere al mondo di esser già famoso» (Giacomo Leopardi, Zibaldone di pensieri, Bologna, 21 novembre 1825)

Duecentoventicinque anni fa nasceva a Recanati uno dei più grandi poeti della letteratura italiana: Giacomo Leopardi. A lui dobbiamo liriche intense e penetranti quali “L’infinito”, “Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell’Asia” e “Il sabato del villaggio” e riflessioni filosofiche estremamente attuali come quelle che troviamo nelle “Operette morali” e nello “Zibaldone di pensieri”.

Il poeta marchigiano fu a Bologna per quattro volte: dal 18 luglio al 27 luglio 1825, dal 29 settembre 1825 al 3 novembre 1826, dal 26 aprile al 20 giugno 1827 e infine dal 3 al 9 maggio 1830. In omaggio alla sua permanenza più prolungata (oltre un anno tra il 1825 e il 1826), il comune di Bologna pose una lapide in via Santo Stefano 33 (dove Leopardi alloggiò a lungo) per ricordare «che in questa città dall’ammirazione universale, da care amicizie e da teneri affetti, ebbe conforto il poeta del dolore».

Da Bologna, Leopardi scrisse alla famiglia e ad alcuni amici, annotando impressioni e riflessioni sulla città interessanti tanto dal punto di vista biografico quanto dal punto di vista storico, sulle quali sono stati scritti numerosi saggi e persino un volume interamente dedicato al rapporto dell’autore de “L’infinito” con la città delle Due Torri, curato dall’editore Massimiliano Boni. Il titolo del libro, “Questa benedetta Bologna” è tratto da una lettera che Leopardi scrisse il 5 giugno 1826 all’amico, oltre che medico di famiglia, Francesco Puccinotti.

I soggiorni bolognesi di Leopardi furono per lui piuttosto piacevoli. A Bologna era presente l’amico Pietro Giordani, ex segretario dell’Accademia di Belle Arti e già ospite a Recanati della famiglia Leopardi, con cui intratteneva scambi epistolari dal 1817. Grazie a lui Giacomo fece alcune conoscenze importanti e fu accolto con favore nei salotti letterari cittadini. A Bologna, Leopardi frequentava spesso il Caffè del Corso, tuttora esistente in via Santo Stefano, dove amava consumare quasi ogni giorno una colazione di cioccolata e biscotti.

Nelle sue lettere descriverà Bologna come una città «quietissima, allegrissima, ospitale», «piena di letterati nazionali, e tutti di buon cuore, e prevenuti per me molto favorevolmente». Ed al fratello Carlo dirà: «Mi sono fermato nove giorni e sono stato accolto con carezze ed onori ch’io era tanto lontano d’aspettarmi, quanto sono dal meritare.» Positivo è anche il giudizio complessivo: «Bologna è buona, credilo a me che con infinita meraviglia, ho dovuto convenire che la bontà di cuore vi si trova effettivamente, anzi vi è comunissima.» Il 31 luglio 1825 Leopardi scriveva al fratello Carlo: «in Bologna nel materiale e nel morale tutto è bello e niente è magnifico.»

Nel 1825 un decreto del cardinale e arcivescovo Carlo Oppizzoni ripristinò l’usanza delle Processioni generali, che coinvolgono ogni dieci anni, a turno, le parrocchie cittadine, secondo un regolare calendario. La prima Festa degli Addobbi, dopo il ripristino, si svolse nell’estate del 1826 nelle parrocchie di Santa Maria Maggiore in via Galliera e di San Giuliano in via Santo Stefano. Su quest’ultima festa vi è il ricordo di Giacomo Leopardi, che la descrive come «una cosa bella e degna di essere veduta, specialmente la sera, quando tutta una lunga contrada, illuminata a giorno, con lumiere di cristallo e specchi, apparata superbamente, ornata di quadri, piena di centinaia di sedie tutte occupate da persone vestite signorilmente, par trasformata in una vera sala di conversazione.»

Nel 1826 Francesco Orioli, professore di Fisica all’Università di Bologna, e Filippo Miserocchi, ingegnere comunale, curarono l’installazione di un impianto parafulmine sulla torre degli Asinelli: i condotti metallici sulla torre ispireranno alcune considerazioni di Leopardi sulle invenzioni del suo tempo, appuntate nello Zibaldone durante il suo soggiorno.

Nello stesso anno il pittore Luigi Lolli di Lugo vinse un concorso per un dipinto a fresco, da eseguire presso l’ingresso della Pinacoteca dal lato dell’Accademia di Belle Arti. L’amico e stampatore Pietro Brighenti, dopo molte insistenze, riuscì a convincere Leopardi a farsi fare da Lolli un ritratto, da allegare alla sua raccolta di poesie: sarà l’unico documento originale della fisionomia del poeta in vita e servirà da base per molti suoi ritratti postumi.

Il 27 marzo del 1826, lunedì di Pasqua, Giacomo Leopardi venne invitato da Vincenzo Valorani a leggere pubblicamente nella sede dell’Accademia dei Felsinei l’“Epistola al conte Carlo Pepoli”, dedicata al vice-presidente dell’Accademia e suo caro amico. Lo stesso Pepoli ricorderà l’argomento nel suo poemetto “L’Eremo” del 1828.

Nello “Zibaldone”, Leopardi si espresse anche riguardo i dialetti del Nord Italia, e in particolare sul bolognese: «Il detto altrove dell’incontrastabilmente maggior numero di suoni nelle lingue settentrionali che nelle nostre, causa, in parte della lor mala ortografia, per la scarsezza dell’alfabeto latino da loro adottato; è applicabile ai dialetti dell’Italia superiore, perciò difficilissimo ancora a bene scriversi. [Giuseppe] Mezzofanti diceva che al bolognese bisognerebbe un alfabeto di 40 o 50 o più segni.»

Il rapporto di Leopardi con Bologna comincò in realtà ancor prima delle ripetute visite del poeta. Nell’agosto del 1824 la tipografia Nobili di Bologna stampò le “Canzoni” di Leopardi. Si tratta della prima edizione collettiva dei suoi versi, realizzata anche grazie all’amico Pietro Brighenti che, oltre a trovare lo stampatore, riuscì ad evitare la censura pontificia. Questa edizione bolognese comprende dieci canzoni, composte tra il 1818 e il 1823: “All'Italia”, “Sopra il monumento di Dante”, “Ad Angelo Mai”, “Nelle nozze della sorella Paolina”, “A un vincitore nel pallone”, “Bruto Minore”, “Alla primavera o delle favole antiche”, “Ultimo canto di Saffo”, “Inno ai patriarchi o de’ principii del genere umano”, “Alla sua donna”.

Il capoluogo emiliano non risparmiò però al poeta recanatese le delusioni d’amore, che sfoceranno in alcune splendide (anche se sconsolate) riflessioni in linea con la sua concezione pessimistica della vita. L’incontro del maggio 1826 con Teresa Carniani, moglie di Francesco Malvezzi de’ Medici, donna coltissima e animatrice di uno dei più importanti salotti letterari della città, regalò a Leopardi inedite emozioni.

«Nei primi giorni che la conobbi, vissi in una specie di delirio e di febbre», confida al fratello Carlo. E ancora: «questa conoscenza forma e formerà un’epoca ben marcata della mia vita, perché mi ha disingannato del disinganno, mi ha convinto che ci sono veramente al mondo dei piaceri che io credeva impossibili, e che io sono ancor capace d’illusioni stabili, malgrado la cognizione e l’assuefazione contraria così radicata, ed ha risuscitato il mio cuore, dopo un sonno, anzi una morte completa, durata per tanti anni». Poco meno di due anni dopo le convinzioni del poeta saranno nettamente in contrasto con quelle maturate inizialmente: «Come mai ti può capire in mente che io continui d’andare da quella puttana della Malvezzi? Voglio che mi caschi il naso, se da che ho saputo le ciarle che ha fatto di me, ci sono tornato, o sono per tornarci mai».

Fonti: Nerio Zanardi, Giacomo Leopardi e la dolce vita bolognese negli anni Venti del secolo XIX, in “Strenna storica bolognese”, 51, 2001; Giacomo Leopardi, “Questa benedetta Bologna”: Impressioni e annotazioni su Bologna tratte dall’epistolario con alcuni appunti tratti dallo Zibaldone, Massimiliano Boni, Bologna, 2002.

[jewellery-box]

Gold, Cat's-Eye Chrysoberyl, Ruby, Diamond and Enamel Pendant-Brooch, Carlo Giuliano, 1863-1895.

Sotheby's

[minetteskvareninova]

Minette watches Medici, part 15 (Betrayal)

- This is probably going to be a short one, because I don’t have much to complain about this episode? Like, the whole thing is questionable from the historical perspective and has a lot of problems carried over from the previous episodes, but overall the buildup to the Pazzi plot kinda slaps? Who knows, maybe I’ll fill this one with compliments instead.

- First off, one thing I forgot to mention in the previous entry: the decision to tie Galeazzo’s murder to the Pazzi conspiracy. And I mean, those two things were related, in that they were both attempts to remove an autocratic ruler and reinstate the old semi-oligarchical order, but they weren’t literally perpetuated by the same people. With that said, as far as deviations from history go, this is one of the better ones, because it fits very well into the main plot. Like, if they are going to disregard the history completely, they might as well give us something this good.

- Look, I hate to say this, because she was a great gal and shit, but... They should’ve killed Simonetta sooner. I don’t hate some of the things they were trying to do with Giuliano here, like him being distracted by women, wine and general fucking around, untill he falls in love with a girl who inspires him to take his responsibilities more seriously even after she dies. But like... The whole thing was too little too late. Instead we spend most of Simonetta and Giuliano’s time together with their dumb courtship and even dumber drama with her husband and Sandro.

- Also, the whole “Sandro loves her as an object of artistic adoration, while Giuliano loves her as an actual person” would be a great angle to take if it wasn’t for the fact that a) again, too little too late; b) if Giuliano really loved or at least respected her as an actual person, he would’ve left her alone at the first “get lost” and none of this drama would happen. These two had no fucking chemistry, but honestly that’s to be expected, I’ve yet to see a tsundere girl x presumptuous fuckboy pairing that isn’t pure trash. This is the kind of couple that gives enemies to lovers trope a bad name.

- Another thing that was too little too late? The whole thing with Giuliano finding his place as the hard first of the bank, while Lorenzo is the brain and friendly face. I don’t love either of them as characters, but they have a solid dynamic this show refuses to play on for some reason.

- Also let me clown a little on the whitewashing of Sixtus IV., like, I get that The Borgias did the whole “morally ambiguous pope” thing sooner and better, but come the fuck on. Also was his cardinal nephew supposed to be part of the conspiracy, because IRL he very much was...

- Whitewashing of the Medici family is bearing some really nasty fruits here in the form of tragic flattening of the Pazzi conspiracy. Like, where are my liberatores vibes? The Caesar references?! Halooo??? THIS SHIT COULD’VE BEEN SO POIGNANT ASFJG...

- The flashback was... Eh? Contessina’s death had me rolling my eyes, which - you know you’ve fucked up when a best girl is literally dying and my reacting is a fucking eyeroll. At the same time, we finally got some glimpses of an alternate timeline where Francesco de’ Pazzi had a decent characterization. His pride, his penchant for violence, his contentious relationship with his uncle... This dude could’ve been so interesting with some better writing! As it is, my interest in him as a character lives off of scraps and his mighty cheekbones. Ugh.

- But, I cannot emphasize this enough, despite all of my minor complaints, this was a fucking great episode! The plot was well-thought out, fast paced, the chase at the beginning kicked ass, the twists and turns of the plot were exciting, yet made perfect sense, and Carlo, oh my poor sweet Carlo, my heart goes out to you... Also my girls Clarice and Mamma Lucrezia, god how I love them. Like, so much for my conviction that I’ll end this show without any new blorbos. It’s just that I am better at complaining than praising, sorry about that.