Women Of The Night Picked Up Chestnuts With Their Lady Parts
The Banquet of Chestnuts was hosted by Pope Alexander VI and his son Cesare Borgia. Held in the Papal Palace, the official residence of the pope himself, the invitation was extended only to his inner circle. The banquet table was overflowing with roasted meats, dried fruits, and all sorts of sweet delicacies, and the wine was plentiful. Besides the sparkling nobles in attendance, though, 50 of Rome's finest ladies of the night were included on the guest list.
After dinner, the servants removed the candelabras from the table and placed them on the floor. The women began to dance seductively and undress while chestnuts were stretched about. Then, the women began crawling around on all fours, picking up the chestnuts - according to some stories, with their nether regions.
The Polite Dinner Party Turned Into An All-Night Romp
It wasn't long before the dinner guests got involved with the entertainers' floor show, throwing down barrettes, brooches, and even gloves for the dancers to pick up. Those with less inhibition are said to have burned off dinner by having relations with their choice of courtesan.
Prizes were soon announced for any man who had the most sexual partners. Cloaks, boots, and other gifts were given out to the winners by the pope himself.
It Set The Tone For One Hell Of A Season
Perhaps the attendees of the party felt they could indulge due to the time of year. The late October date was near All Saints Day, a sanctified church holiday with ties to the dead and the season of plenty. It was an otherworldly time when charnel houses were opened, corpses were dressed up and displayed, and farmers celebrated the end of a productive year.
As the seasons turned, Rome was filled with masquerades, performances, and processions. The success of this holiday time depended greatly on the actions of the aristocrats and papal authorities, who were expected to set the tone for upcoming festivities. Although a church festival would have worked just fine, with their banquet the Borgias offered up an evening that went above and beyond expectations.