Expulsion of the Bentivoglio from Bologna
The Bentivoglio family, once the rulers of Bologna, are being forcibly expelled from their palace by papal soldiers. The courtyard is in disarray as the family and their loyal servants scramble to gat
Setting
The grand courtyard of Palazzo Bentivoglio, surrounded by Renaissance arches and columns. The once bustling center of power now stands as a scene of chaos with scattered belongings and overturned furniture. The cobblestone ground is littered with hastily discarded items as the family prepares for their abrupt departure.
Characters
Giovanni II Bentivoglio
primary
A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late fifties with a strong, weathered face marked by deep lines of authority and recent hardship. His once-dark hair is streaked with gray, tied back neatly in the style of nobility. His piercing dark eyes convey both defiance and weariness.
Annibale Bentivoglio
primary
A young man in his early 20s with a lean, athletic build and sharp, angular features inherited from his noble lineage. His dark brown eyes burn with indignation, and his olive complexion is flushed with anger. His shoulder-length chestnut hair is slightly disheveled from the commotion.
Family Steward
secondary
A middle-aged man with a wiry frame, his thinning grey hair disheveled from frantic movement. His sharp features are accentuated by deep-set eyes, currently wide with urgency. His hands are rough from years of service but move with practiced precision.
Papal Guard Captain
secondary
A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 40s with a weathered face marked by a prominent scar running from his left temple to his jawline. His steel-gray eyes are cold and calculating, framed by thick eyebrows. His posture is rigid, betraying years of military discipline.
Papal Soldier
background
A young man in his early twenties, lean but strong from military training. His clean-shaven face shows the remnants of adolescent softness, with wide brown eyes that betray his nervousness. His hands grip his halberd tightly, knuckles whitening.
Dialog
Giovanni II Bentivoglio
Tempora mutantur, Annibale. The tides of fortune withdraw from us, but the Bentivoglio name shall not drown in these shallow waters.
Annibale Bentivoglio
Father, to leave like thieves in the night? This cannot stand! These priests forget who built Bologna's walls!
Papal Guard Captain
The Captain requires silence. His Holiness’ mercy allows your departure with lives intact—value this clemency.
Giovanni II Bentivoglio
Clemency? No, Captain. We depart by necessity, not gratitude. Tell Julius II that Bologna’s stones remember their makers.
Annibale Bentivoglio
Let them try to erase us! Every fresco in the palazzo breathes our name!
Papal Guard Captain
Move there. The Holy See’s masons will... repurpose the stones.
Giovanni II Bentivoglio
Then let mortar be their epitaph, Captain. Even Pluto’s realm hears echoes of the living.