Pazzi Conspiracy

Arrests, Executions

The Cardinal of San Giorgio, Raffaelle Sansoni Riario, was arrested along with his followers, who had hidden themselves in the southern sacristy. They were escorted under guard to the Signoria. The mob pressed in and had to be driven back several times. Even so, several of the Cardinal's retinue were seized, dragged off by the crowd and murdered. The Cardinal would eventually survive.

The next day, fourteen of Montesecco's men were hung naked from the Palazzo windows. They were left there all day. When they were cut down, their bodies were propped up against the walls around the Palazzo, weapons in hand, as if guarding. Montesecco himself had fled, but he was captured several days later in the Tuscan countryside. He was interrogated and made a complete confession, which has survived and forms one of our important sources for this event. He was given more honor than most of the conspirators, being beheaded on May 4.

Not so with the priests who had attacked Lorenzo. They had fled to a Benedictine monastery, which protected them for a little while, but which gave them up on May 3. They were beaten by the crowd on their way to the Signory. There they had their ears and noses cut off before being hanged from the windows like the other conspirators.