Ramberto V Malatesta, the favourite (but illegitimate) son of Carlo I Malatesta said the old (1448-1486), that was assigned to succeed to him in the Lordship that included the Castles of Sogliano, S.Giovanni in Galilea, Talamello, S. Martino in Converseto, Stringara, Tornano, Serra, Montecodruzzo, Ciola Araldi and the Pondo State. He was a man of arms (leader of people of arms under Francesco Maria, duke of Urbino) and a science man, he dedicated himself to the study of literature, that brought him very much and because of them he was compared to Pico della Mirandola, into the Poliziano; he had a beautiful library of scientific works. In 1500 Ramberto married the most noble of gentlewomen, Maria of "the was" Giovanni de Fois from Savona, that gave him two children, Carlo and Lucrezia. But a fact happened to him throw his life into a total confusion: " A fatal fate wanted that Ramberto was delighted by a sweet wind zeffiretto from a window of his palace placed on a little bridge that is knight of Villa Bagnolo, when he perceived a graceful damsel busy to pick up herbs in a golden field of flax. To see her, to admire her, to desire her with heatedly and confused passion and suddenly, to kidnap her and to possess her and treat her as his wife, it was just an instant; that lady was a certain Angelina "the was" Roberto from Sogliano. The horrible fact, unknown for few people before, of the continue love-affair, became public and the betrayed consort who knew it will certainly have some resentment for this adultery. Ramberto, swept by this passion was deaf to the wife's complaint, separated her from him and, under the guide of his faithful friends, he shuted her up in the Tornano Castle. Here, the poor lady, suffered the pain of an undeserved imprisonment and the mistreatment of her terrible guards and after several days and nights of pain she seemed to be near death. Ramberto was advised of this fact, and was happy inside, but shamed to be worried and went immediately to the Castle. He arrived at the end of the evening and, after dismissing family and a guards, he got into the room of the prisoner of his passion. She knelt down and prayed him and the Virgin Mary, but he knife her to the heart and let her died. The tragedy happened a night of April 1507. The guardians of the prison found her bloody cadaver on the floor. Immediately the horrid fact travelled fast and the public opinion, rightly indignant, proudly persecuted that cruel murderer. Then the vassals shouted their revenge and imprisoned the Lord into a little northern prison ( that was excavated in the rock, closed by an heavy and wide door with a hole on a side for air, light and water), and were he used to put in his magnificent "fossa cheese", of that he was greedy. It was the proud of the whole Lordship and the prison was in front of Villa Bagnolo where the adultery happened. The best pain was to putted under his nose the best cheese of fossa and the "Angelina from Bagnolo" as he could see it but he couldn't touch it, he could feel it but it couldn't eat it and this was the best sentence that he had to pay with the other corporal sentences. The pope Giulio II was informed of this sad fact so he sent some guards to catch the guilty and to confiscate all his goods. But one of his faithful servants managed to set him free and to let him escape, and took with him Carlo, the son of him and the death Angelina and the sons that she had. In the same time, the Holy See took the power of the Lordship and the State of the murder, confiscated him all the goods and jurisdictions and took him any investiture away. Giulio II gave to the Count Cesare Alidosi form Imola the State of Ramberto. Ramberto took refuge in Pisa by the brother Malatesta, leader at that time of the militaries of Florence and famous captain of arms , and as he knew the uxoricide and all the pain was moved and forgot him, then received with affect him and his sons and engaged to return the State to him. His hard work had a good result by the Holy See because of the death of Giulio II in the year 1512 and the substitution of the new pope Leone X de' Medici in 1531. Maybe because of the affection of the De Medici with Malatesta Lordship, and the end of the quarrel with the Count Cesare, the Pope ordered that Ramberto came back into his Lordship paying the Count Alidosi 4000 scudi, and the brother Malatesta helped him for the payment (Ramberto gave him all the lending with the interests, and gave to him the Montecodruzzo Castle and Ciola Araldi and then Tornano and Serra, but the last twoo Castles returned to Ramberto. Therefore Ramberto kept his Lordship back and lived in peace with his studies and without marring Angelina for legitimate of their 6 sons. He died on 30 June 1537, leaving his Lordship to his legitimate son Carlo II.
P.S: The castle of Malatesta in Sogliano al Rubicone has been completely destroyed and there is not an exact indication of the right place of prison of Ramberto V Malatesta said the Philosopher, but from the description of the historical facts and from the testimony collected, maybe is right the hypothesis that the prison is in the same place where today is the property of Pellegrino family, where nowadays also the cheese are matured in the tank, respected traditions and method used in the past time. This place is near the Bagnolo house in Sogliano and here there are two ditch excavated in the tufa and now as yesterday are used for giving an excellent "Fossa Cheese".
( Traduzione eseguita da Nicoletta Bavagnoli )
Via Le Greppe, 14
47030 Sogliano al Rubicone (FC)
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