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Handout #159 |
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A ball at the Council |
| The Council of Trent was not just an assembly
of bishops discussing the reform of the church. Such a gathering posed a
large number of problems relating to lodging, provisioning, domestic
matters, policing and so on. Ambassadors were there. Festivals were
organized, like this ball, which some people did not like.
The Cardinal of Trent, Cristoforo Madruzzo, had great feasting in his palace for the marriage of a certain noblemen which was celebrated there. Among other things, after the banquet, there was a ball in the presence of a large gathering of noble ladies. As it is the custom of the country to invite all the guests of the banquet to dance, and the Cardinal had welcomed to his table the bishops of Ffeltre, Agde, Clemont and so on, the official secretary, Pighino, and the procurator fiscal of the Council, all were able to take part in the dancing. And the Cardinal wanted to honor them in that way. That evening he invited the Archbishop of Palenno and several bishops to supper, and invited them to open the ball, with himself at the head. And all this took place very honorably, with seemly modesty and Christian charity. Journal of the Council by Secretary Massarelli,3, March 1546 A.D. |
