Exile

The pungent aroma of dust and death lingered in the air of the catacombs. Orazio Ludovisi, the Church’s Captain General and the youngest of the Ludovisi brothers, gripped his torch tightly, illuminating the ancient walls of the Lateran Basilica as he made his way through its labyrinthine tunnels. The catacombs were a maze of shadows, with forgotten tombs lining the walls and the occasional draft of cold air sending shivers down his spine. He had been summoned, on this auspicious day, to this holy place by his brother, a man no longer carrying the Ludovisi name, Pope Gregory XV.

The summons arrived at his estate in Fiano Romano with urgency, delivered by a papal courier. Sealed with his eldest brother’s mark, it was more than an order from his Pope. The request carried a sense of finality, as if it were the last thing he would ever ask for. Despite already being in poor health, Alessandro was elected to succeed Pope Paul V in 1621, and the years that followed only worsened his condition. The papal tombs below Lateran Basilica served as the site for their clandestine meeting, a fitting atmosphere for one such as Alessandro, whose life was nearing its completion.

Orazio followed the chill in the air, feeling the hairs on his neck stand on end as he ventured deeper into the catacombs. The musty scent of the tombs was infused with the presence of the past leaders, creating an eerie feeling that kept Orazio’s senses on edge. Only the head of the order was permitted to enter the chamber at the center of the catacombs. It was a place steeped in secrecy. The inner sanctum was a sacred space where the world’s spiritual leader could hear the whispers of the past elders and feel their guidance. This forbidden place was accessible only to the most esteemed members of the holy order.