# 5 - A SERIOUS REPORT ON BLESSED MARGARET CASTELLO, O,P.

 # 5 - A SERIOUS REPORT ON BLESSED MARGARET CASTELLO, O.P.

IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH - HTTP://WWW.CINOPSBEGONEBLOGSPOT.COM - SAT. NOV. 28,2020

 

THE LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET CASTELLO, O.P. (1287-1320)

    By Father William R. Bonneville, O.P. Tan Books, Carolina 2014 - Chapter 1 - The Castle of Metola

 

    "The biographer does tell us, however, of the social and political prominence of Parisio. He was much more than just another nobleman. The fact that not only he, but a number of his ancestors, held the post of Captain of the People, proves the political importance of the family. The government of Massa Trabaria, like of many republics of the Middle Ages, sought a balance of power by dividing the functions of government between a podesta, a Captain of the People, and a State Council.The podesta, with the help of the Council, ruled within the capital city, but it was the Captain of the People who exercised authority over the rest of the land, and who, in time of war, became commander the chief of the armies.

 

    Besides being politically important. Parisio was also a wealthy man. In addition to family inheritance, and his salary as one of the highest officials of the land, he became after his victory at Metola, the castelian of a powerful fortress, where he enjoyed the revenue of a large and valuable seigniory, The forest alone on his estate were of enormous value, but over and above that, his income was augmented by the forced labor extracted from the hapless serfs by their seignior and by the taxes and fees they had to pay him. The many proofs of Parisio's wealth are confirmed by the testimony of a contemporary Franciscan, Hubert of Casale, who knew Margaret well and who testified that she came "from a noble and wealthy family."

 

    Parisio was apparently endowed with few virtues. He was monstrously proud. unscrupulous, and indifferent to the sufferings of others, He was merciless towards anyone who stood in his way. Wholly selfish and engrossed in himself, he was not capable of genuine affection toward anyone, except in so far as that individual might be of some value to him. He did not believe that God  - if there were a God -took any interest whatever in human beings and their actions.

 

     Of his wife, Lady Emilia, less is known. She seems to have been a woman of weak character, completely and abjectly under the domination of her husband. After examining her life, the medieval biographer can find only two praiseworthy things to say about her; she had her child baptized, she occasionally visited it!

 

    Such were the characters of the castellan Parisio and his wife Emilia. Undoubtedly, had this couple died childless, their very existence would have been forgotten by mankind, as it has forgotten the existence of tens of thousands of other lords and ladies. But in the beginning of the year 1287 it had become common knowledge in and about the castle of Metola that before the end of the year Lady Emilia would give birth to a child.

 

    At the prospect of having a son to perpetuate his name Parisio was overjoyed. So important an event had to be celebrated in a becoming manner. "Cara Mia" he said to his wife. I have been thinking about the banquet in honor of our first born. You know some of our friends,especially the elder one would have quite a hard time climbing this mountain. and besides, we do not have enough guest rooms for everybody. So why don't we have two banquets: one here, for the garrison and serfs, then a few weeks later, at our house in Mercatello, we could have an elaborate banquet for all our friends."

 

    "Oh, that is a wonderful idea!" exclaimed his wife. "And the banquet in town would serve for both the baby's birth and baptism." ...

George H. Kubeck