Villani's Chronicle Part 12

And being in council among themselves, after what fashion they should punish him, whether by beating or killing, Mosca de' Lamberti said the evil word: 'Thing done has an end'; to wit, that he should be slain; and so it was done; for on the morning of Easter of the Resurrection the Amidei of San Stefano a.s.sembled in their house, and the said M.

Bondelmonte coming from Oltrarno, n.o.bly arrayed in new white apparel, and upon a white palfrey, arriving at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio on this side, just at the foot of the pillar where was the statue of Mars, the said M. Bondelmonte was dragged from his horse by Schiatta degli Uberti, and by Mosca Lamberti and Lambertuccio degli Amidei a.s.saulted and smitten, and by Oderigo Fifanti his veins were opened and he was brought to his end; and there was with them one of the counts of Gangalandi. For the which thing the city rose in arms and tumult; and this death of M. Bondelmonte was the cause and beginning of the accursed parties of Guelfs and Ghibellines in Florence, albeit long before there were factions among the n.o.ble citizens and the said parties existed by reason of the strifes and questions between the Church and the Empire; but by reason of the death of the said M.

Bondelmonte all the families of the n.o.bles and the other citizens of Florence were divided, and some held with the Bondelmonti, who took the side of the Guelfs, and were its leaders, and some with the Uberti, who were the leaders of the Ghibellines, whence followed much evil and disaster to our city, as hereafter shall be told; and it is believed that it will never have an end, if G.o.d do not cut it short.

And surely it shows that the enemy of the human race, for the sins of the Florentines, had power in that idol of Mars, which the pagan Florentines of old were wont to worship, that at the foot of his statue such a murder was committed, whence so much evil followed to the city of Florence. The accursed names of the Guelf and Ghibelline parties are said to have arisen first in Germany by reason that two great barons of that country were at war together, and had each a strong castle the one over against the other, and the one had the name of Guelf, and the other of Ghibelline, and the war lasted so long, that all the Germans were divided, and one held to one side, and the other to the other; and the strife even came as far as to the court of Rome, and all the court took part in it, and the one side was called that of Guelf, and the other that of Ghibelline; and so the said names continued in Italy.

-- 39.--_Of the families and the n.o.bles which became Guelfs and Ghibellines in Florence._

[Sidenote: 1215 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 115.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 128. Inf. xvii. 62, 63. Par. xvi. 127. 104.]

[Sidenote: Purg. xii. 105. Par. xvi. 105. Convivio iv. 20: 38-41. Par.

xvi. 104. 123. 136-139. Cf. 109. 110.]

[Sidenote: 66, 135.]

[Sidenote: 127. Inf. xvii. 59, 60.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 133. 105. 93. xv. 115. xvi. 110. 111. 93. 103.]

[Sidenote: 108.]

[Sidenote: 104.]

[Sidenote: 115-117. 112-114. 130, 131. 93.]

[Sidenote: 65, 94-96.]

[Sidenote: 121.]

[Sidenote: 104. 101.]

By reason of the said division these were the families of the n.o.bles which were at that time and became Guelfs in Florence, counting from sesto to sesto, and likewise the Ghibellines. In the sesto of Oltrarno, of the Guelfs were the Nerli, gentlemen, who dwelt at first in the Mercato Vecchio; the family of the Giacoppi, called Rossi, not however of great antiquity of descent, but they were already beginning to be powerful; the Frescobaldi, the Bardi, the Mozzi, but of small beginnings; of the Ghibellines in the sesto of Oltrarno, among the n.o.bles, the counts of Gangalandi, Obriachi, and Mannelli. In the sesto of San Piero Scheraggio, the n.o.bles which were Guelfs were, the house of the Pulci, the Gherardini, the Foraboschi, the Bagnesi, the Guidalotti, the Sacchetti, the Manieri, and they of Quona, fellows to them of Volognano, the Lucardesi, the Chiaramontesi, the Compiobbesi, the Cavalcanti, but these were descended recently from merchants. In the said sesto of the Ghibellines were, the family of the Uberti, which was the head of the party, the Fifanti, the Infangati, and Amidei, and they of Volognano, and the Malespini, albeit afterwards by reason of the outrages of the Uberti their neighbours, they and many other families of San Piero Scheraggio became Guelfs. In the sesto of the Borgo of the Guelfs were the family of the Bondelmonti, and they were the leaders of the party; the family of the Giandonati, the Gianfigliazzi, the family of the Scali, of the Gualterotti and of the Importuni. Of the Ghibellines of the said sesto, the house of the Scolari which were by origin fellows to the Bondelmonti, the house of the Guidi, of the Galli and of the Cappiardi. In the sesto of San Brancazio of the Guelfs were the Bostichi, the Tornaquinci, the Vecchietti. Of the Ghibellines of the said sesto were the Lamberti, the Soldanieri, the Cipriani, the Toschi, and the Amieri, and Palermini, and Migliorelli, and Pigli, albeit afterwards some of them became Guelfs. In the sesto of the Porte del Duomo, of the Guelf party in those times were the Tosinghi, the Arrigucci, the Agli, the Sizii.

Of the Ghibellines of the said sesto were the Barucci, the Cattani of Castiglione and of Cersino, the Agolanti and the Brunelleschi; and afterwards some of them became Guelfs. In the sesto of the Porte San Piero of the Guelf n.o.bles were the Adimari, the Visdomini, the Donati, the Pazzi, the della Bella, the Ardinghi, and the Tedaldi which were called della Vitella, and already the Cerchi began to rise in condition, albeit they were merchants; of the Ghibellines of the said sesto were the Caponsacchi, the Lisei, the Abati, the Tedaldini, the Giuochi, the Galigari. And many other families of honourable citizens and popolani held some with one side, and some with the other, and they changed with the times in mind and in party, which would be too long a matter to relate. And for the said cause the accursed parties first began in Florence, albeit before that there had been a division secretly among the n.o.ble citizens, whereof some loved the rule of the Church and some that of the Empire; nevertheless they were all agreed as to the state and well-being of the commonwealth.

-- 40.--_How the city of Damietta was taken by the Christians, and afterwards lost._

-- 41.--_How the Florentines caused the dwellers in the country around to swear fealty to the city, and how the new Carraia Bridge was begun._

[Sidenote: 1218 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. x.x.xii. 56, 57.]

In the year of Christ 1218, when Otto da Mandella of Milan was Podesta of Florence, the Florentines caused all the dwellers in the country around to swear fealty to the commonwealth, seeing that before that time the greater part had obeyed the rule of the Counts Guidi, and of them of Mangone, and of them of Capraia, and of Certaldo, and of many Cattani which had taken possession of the lands by privileges and some by force of the emperors. And in this year the building of the bastions of the Carraia Bridge was begun.

[Sidenote: 1220 A.D.]

-- 42.--_How the Florentines took Mortennana, and completed the new bridge called Carraia._

END OF SELECTIONS FROM BOOK V.

BOOK VI.

[Sidenote: 1220 A.D.]

_How Frederick II. was consecrated and made Emperor, and the great things which came to pa.s.s._

[Sidenote: Inf. x. 119; xiii. 59, 68, 75; xxiii. 66. Purg. xvi. 117.

Par. iii. 120. Convivio iv. Canzone, ver. 21; also cap. 3: 37-44; 10: 6-12. De Vulg. El. i. 12: 20-35. Epist. vi. (5) 126-135. Par. iii.

118-120.]

[Sidenote: Inf. x. 119.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. xvi. 115-117.]

-- 1.--In the year of Christ 1220, on the day of St. Cecilia in November, there was crowned and consecrated Emperor at Rome Frederick II., king of Sicily, son of the Emperor Henry of Suabia, and of the Empress Constance, by Pope Honorius III., with great honour. In the beginning he was a friend of the Church, and well might he be, so many benefits and favours had he received from the Church, for through the Church his father Henry had for wife Constance, queen of Sicily, and for dowry the said realm, and the kingdom of Apulia; and when his father was dead, he being left a little child, was cared for and guarded by the Church as by a mother, and also his kingdom was defended, and he was elected king of the Romans against the Emperor Otho IV., and he was afterwards crowned Emperor, as aforesaid. But he, son of ingrat.i.tude that he was, not acknowledging Holy Church as a mother, but as a hostile stepmother, in all things was her enemy and persecutor, he and his sons, almost more than his precursors, as hereafter we shall make mention. This Frederick reigned thirty years as Emperor, and was a man of great capacity and of great valour, wise in books, and of natural intelligence, universal in all things; was acquainted with the Latin tongue, and with our vernacular, with German and French, Greek and Arabic, of abounding talents, liberal and courteous in giving, courageous and prudent in arms, and was much feared. And he was dissolute and licentious after divers fashions, and had many concubines and catamites, after the manner of the Saracens, and he sought indulgence in all bodily pleasures, and led an epicurean life, not taking account that there were ever another life; and this was one chief cause why he became the enemy of the clergy and of Holy Church. And the other was his greed in taking and sequestrating the revenues of Holy Church, to squander them evilly. And many monasteries and churches he destroyed in his kingdom of Sicily and Apulia, and throughout all Italy, and this, either through his own vices and defects, or by reason of the rulers of Holy Church who could not or would not deal with him, nor be content that he should have the Imperial rights, wherefore he subdued and smote Holy Church; or because that G.o.d permitted it as a Divine judgment, because the rulers of the Church had been the means through whom he became the child of the holy nun, Constance, they not remembering the persecutions which Henry, his father, and Frederick, his grandfather, had caused Holy Church to endure. This Frederick did many noteworthy things in his time, and raised in all the chief cities of Sicily and of Apulia, strong and rich fortresses which are still standing, and built the fortress of Capovana, in Naples, and the towers and gate upon the bridge over the river of Volturno at Capua, the which are very marvellous; and he made the park for sport on the marsh of Foggia in Apulia, and made the hunting park near Gravina and Amalfi in the mountains. In winter he abode at Foggia, and in summer in the mountains, for the delights of the chase. And many other noteworthy things he caused to be made, as the castle of Prato, and the fortress of Samminiato, and many other things, as we shall make mention hereafter. And he had two sons by his first wife, Henry and Conrad, whom he caused each one during his lifetime to be elected king of the Romans; and by the daughter of King John of Jerusalem he had King Giordano, and by others he had King Frederick (from whom are descended the lineage of those who are called of Antioch), King Enzo and King Manfred, who were great enemies to Holy Church; and during his life he and his sons lived and ruled with much earthly splendour; but in the end he and his sons because of their sins came to an ill end, and their line was extinguished, as we shall make mention hereafter.

[Sidenote: 1222 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1224 A.D.]

-- 2.--_Of the cause why war broke out between the Florentines and the Pisans._ -- 3.--_How the Pisans were routed by the Florentines at Casteldelbosco._ -- 4.--_How the Florentines marched against Fegghine, and built l'Ancisa._

-- 5.--_How the Florentines led an army against Pistoia, and laid waste the country round about._

[Sidenote: 1228 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Inf. xxv. 1-3.]

In the year of Christ 1228, when M. Andrea of Perugia was Podesta of Florence, the Florentines led an army against Pistoia with the Carroccio, and this was because the Pistoians were making war against Montemurlo, and ill-treating it; and the said host laid waste the country round about the city up to the suburbs, and destroyed the towers of Montefiore which were very strong; and the fortress of Carmignano surrendered to the commonwealth of Florence. And note that upon the rock of Carmignano there was a tower seventy cubits high, and thereupon two arms in marble, whereof the hands were 'making the figs' at Florence; wherefore the artificers of Florence, to express contempt for money or ought else offered to them, were wont to say: "I can't see it, for the fortress of Carmignano is in the way." And the Pistoians hereupon agreed to whatever terms the Florentines might devise, and caused the said fortress of Carmignano to be destroyed.

[Sidenote: 1229 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1232 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1233 A.D.]