Bianca’s Secret

Bianca Maria Visconti has arrived in Milan in February of 1450 after her husband, Francesco Sforza, toppled the government. Their claim to the Duchy is through her, the daughter of the previous duke. In order not to be seen before their coronation, Bianca and members of her court steal into the city to secretly occupy the ruined ducal palace while making preparations for the festivities.
As she inspects the ruined palace, the tarot deck created to celebrate her engagement is discovered. Begged by her courtiers, she entertains them with the story of the Popess, Mayfreda of Pirovano a distant relative, hidden in one of her cards.
Mayfreda's story begins in 1276, when a blood feud raged between the Visconti and Torriani families. The Visconti archbishop has been barred from the city by the Torriani ruler for more than fifteen years, and a papal interdict has excommunicated Milan. During this time of religious chaos, a following has grown around Willamina of Bohemia. The interdict is lifted when the archbishop defeats the Torriani in battle and becomes the secular and religious ruler of the city. Later, upon Willamina's death, Mayfreda, a young noblewoman related to the Visconti family, is considered the best candidate to succeed her and, along with Andrew Saramita, leads her followers.
Andrew believes Willamina was the incarnation of the Holy Spirit, and this new sect will usher in the long prophesied ‘New Age of the Holy Spirit.’ Miracles begin to happen at Willamina's grave and the monks of the Cistercian monastery at Chiaravalle demand that her body be brought there so that a shrine can be created. This is done with the understanding that their order officially establishes her as a saint.
Andrew teaches that Willamina will return to her followers, bodily. This comes to the ears of the Milanese inquisitor, who calls a number of the sect before him for trial. Convicted, they recant and are forgiven of heresy. But when they meet afterwards, they make a pact to continue to hold their beliefs in secret, hiding behind the veneration of a Cistercian saint. This is overheard by a spy for the Roman inquisition, interested in this sect because of the connection with the powerful Visconti family.
Under Andrew’s guidance, preparations are made for the return of Willamina, when they will take over the papacy. Women will assume roles of leadership and Mayfreda is elected their Popess. Many of the aristocracy in Milan have become part of the group. They, convinced by Andrew and the medieval prophecy of a ‘New Age,’ give monies for a sumptuous gown, silver shoes, etc. to be worn by Willamina when she is resurrected.
Mayfreda never taught these fanciful ideas, nor held belief in them. She thinks of Willamina as the ordinary woman she professed to be. But she becomes radicalized when she has a vision of Willamina and begins to preach of a special mission for women, accepting her destiny as Popess in the New Age of the Holy Spirit.
In the fateful year of 1300, a special deputation of the Roman Inquisition is sent to Milan to investigate sects believed disloyal to the pope, Boniface. Andrew prophesies that 1300 is the year when Willamina will return and they will take over the papacy. A private Easter mass is held in anticipation and Mayfreda, herself, celebrates the mass. This is reported to the inquisitors.
The heresy trials begin when Andrew is thrown into a dungeon and tortured. Mayfreda, under house arrest, is also tortured. Andrew’s daughter dies under torture. Some members of the sect are excused, but others are sentenced to wear yellow crosses of shame and pay fines. Andrew, Mayfreda and another nun, a close friend of hers, are turned over to Mayfreda's cousin, Matteo, the secular ruler, to be burned.
When Bianca Maria finishes her story, she reveals that the Popess card was planted in her Tarot deck to preserve it for a future time when society is changed and more amenable to many of the beliefs promoted in her story.