“After the first stab, Riario fell to the ground and tried to take refuge under a table, but was immediately reached and finished by the other two conspirators, who took and stabbed him to death, while Caterina Sforza had barricaded herself with servants in the next room and cried out for help”.
“After about half an hour, or so, he was badly thrown out from a window by other conspirators, who in the meantime had taken the town hall and his body was torn apart by other insurgents shouting freedom as they dragged him through the square”, the witness reply in one breath.
“Sounds like a bad story”, answer the researcher, thinking about it for a moment. Then trying to guess more or less how things might have gone, he say:
“So, if I understood correctly, it could be that when Riario was thrown out the window, he fall down on his head smashing it in the soil?”
“No. I didn't say that, and I don't think it's true. In fact I believe that Riario fall down on his feet and not upside down on his head”, explained the witness.
“And how would he have gotten is head crashed out ?”
“There are many ways to crash someone's head”, replied the witness.
“So how would it have happened?”
“You need to know a few more facts to understand the whole things”.
“And you know them?”
“Many of them”, replied the witness.
“And how would you know all these things? Did the ghost explain them to you?” asked the researcher with a smile.
“No. I am the son of the son, of the son of the son, from many lives of home-born Forli people, and I have inherited something from them”, replied the witness.
“Come on... how can I believe you...” smiled the researcher again, “are you trying to hide the truth from me?”.
“No”.
“So the ghost must have told you all about it?” the researcher insisted.
“No, he only said a few things. Others happened after his death and maybe he didn't even know them”, explained the witness.
“And you know about them?”
“I already told you: several, yes”.
“Excuse me, but who is the ghost? You or him?” the researcher asked jokingly.
“Him, of course”.
“And who are you?”
“A citizen of these places” replied the witness.
“And how would you know all this?”
“I just know it and that’s all”, replied the witness who seemed not to want explain more details.
“Perhaps you've read everything in the history books?”
“Some things I have tried to verify in the history books, but a lot of them are not written in any history book”.
“So how do you know all these things?” insisted the researcher.
“I already told you. I am the son of the son of the son of the son of people here native and I have inherited something...”
“You are very curious. What else did the ghost tell you?” asked the researcher who felt more and more involved with this story.
“He promised revenge and blood to those who killed him and did this to him”.
“Did you ask him anything?”
“Yes”.
“You are also very brave. What did you ask him?”
“I demanded him for some details”.
“And what did he reply to you?”
“He didn't answer me”.
“Wait a moment. Did you done spirit sessions or something like that for ask him those questions?” demanded the researcher, beginning to suspect that something like that must have happened.
“No, I haven't. I'm not a spiritualist”, replied the witness.
“Who else enquire him then?”
“Many people as far as I know, but they didn't do a damn thing”.
“Why aren't they here in your place then?”
It's 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