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68
JANUARY 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
AN INTENSELY HOT LATE-SUMMER
AFTERNOON, A SMALL CROWD
GATHERED IN THE MAIN SQUARE
OF THE PRINCIPALITY OF SEBORGA
TO WATCH PRINCE MARCELLO
MENEGATTO INDUCT KNIGHTS INTO HIS COURT. A RED CARPET HAD
BEEN UNROLLED, LEADING TO THE ENTRYWAY OF THE CHURCH OF SAN
BERNARDO, AND ONE BY ONE, WHITE-ROBED MEN WALKED DOWN IT,
APPROACHING THENEWLY CROWNEDPRINCE; BEHINDHIMWAS A BOOM
BOXPLAYINGCEREMONIALMUZAK. UPONREACHINGTHECHURCH, EACH
MANKNELTBEFOREMENEGATTO,WHOTAPPEDTHEBLADEOFANIMPOS-
SIBLY LONG SWORD AGAINST THE INDUCTEE’S SHOULDERS. IT LOOKED
LIKE A SCENE FROM A MOVIE, EXCEPT THAT THE PRINCE WAS SWEATING
PROFUSELY ANDSEEMEDTERRIFIEDHEMIGHT INJURE SOMEONE.
ON
Out in the audience, Franco Ronchi
stood, looking equally heat-stricken and
anxious. An aspiring perfumer and ama-
teur actor, he had recently made a play to
benamed the Italian consul for SãoTomé, a
small island off the coast of Central Africa,
but was denied. Hungry for distinction,
Ronchi now dreamed of becoming the
consul for Seborga. He’d taken a handful
of vacation days fromhis job at aMilanese
shipping company to arrange an audience
with the prince, yet Menega o kept put-
ting the meeting off. The day was trying.
That morning, Ronchi had left his B&B
when the air was still cool, wearing crisp
graydress pants, a black sport coat and a tie
PRINCELY REWARD
Prince Marcello Menegatto looks on
as the Cross of the Knights, or Croce
Templare, is placed on a loyal knight
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