Villani's Chronicle Part 31

-- 21.--_How the Florentines and Lucchese strengthened the frontiers by reason of the Emperor's coming._

-- 22.--_How Pope Clement sent legates to crown the Emperor Henry._

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvii. 82.]

In the year of Christ 1311, Pope Clement, at the request of the Emperor, not being able to come in person to Rome to crown him, by reason of the council which had been summoned, sent the bishop of Ostia, Cardinal da Prato, as legate, with power to act as if he had been the Pope in person; and he was with him in Genoa in the month of October; and the said Pope sent as legate into Hungary Cardinal Gentile da Montefiore to crown Carlo Rimberto, son that was of Charles Martel and nephew of King Robert, as king over the realm of Hungary, and to give him the aid and favour of the Church. And this the said cardinal did, and abode long time in Hungary, until the said Carlo had conquered almost all the country, and he had crowned him in peace.

And on the return of the said cardinal to Italy, he received commandment from the Pope to bring to him across the mountains all the Church treasure which was in Rome and in the other cities pertaining to the Holy See, and this he brought as far as the city of Lucca.

Beyond that he could not bring it, neither by land nor by sea, because the coasts of Genoa, both land and sea, were all in commotion of war through the Guelf and Ghibelline parties, by reason of the Emperor's coming. He left it in Lucca in the sacristy of San Friano, which treasure was afterwards robbed by the Ghibellines; as hereafter we shall make mention.

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

-- 23.--_How Pope Clement summoned a council at Vienne in Burgundy, and canonised S. Louis, son of King Charles._ -- 24.--_How the Emperor Henry came into the city of Genoa._ -- 25.--_How an imperial vicar came to Arezzo._

-- 26.--_How the amba.s.sadors from the Emperor came to Florence, and were driven thence._

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

In the said year, and month of October, there came to Florence M.

Pandolfo Savelli, of Rome, and other clerks as amba.s.sadors from the Emperor. When they were come to Lastra, above Montughi, the priors of Florence sent them word not to enter into Florence, but to depart. The said amba.s.sadors, not being willing to depart, were robbed by Florentine highwaymen, with the secret consent of the priors; and fleeing in peril of their lives, they departed by the way of Mugello to Arezzo, and afterwards from Arezzo summoned all the n.o.bles and lords and the commonwealths of Tuscany to prepare themselves to come to the Emperor's coronation at Rome.

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

-- 27.--_How the Florentines sent their troops to Lunigiana to oppose the pa.s.sage of the Emperor._

-- 28.--_How the empress died in Genoa._

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

In the said year, in the month of November, there died in Genoa the empress, wife of the Emperor, which was held to be a holy and good woman, and was daughter of the duke of Brabant; and was buried in the Minor Friars with great honour.

-- 29.--_How the Emperor put the Florentines under the ban of the Empire._

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

In the said year and month the Emperor issued a proclamation from Genoa against the Florentines that, if within forty days they did not send him twelve good men with a plenipotentiary and full promise to obey him, he would condemn their goods and persons to be forfeit, wherever found. The commonwealth of Florence did not send any messengers, but all the Florentine merchants which were in Genoa received orders to depart thence, and this they did; and after that, all merchandise which was found in Genoa in the name of the Florentines was seized by the court of the Emperor.

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

-- 30.--_Of the scandal which was in Florence among the wool-workers._ -- 31.--_How King Robert sent men to Florence to oppose the Emperor._

-- 32.--_How the city of Brescia rebelled against the Emperor._

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

In the said year, in the end of December, the Guelfs of Brescia re-entered the city to cause it to rebel against the Emperor. Thither rode M. Cane della Scala with his forces, and drave them out thence with great loss. And in the said month of December M. Ghiberto da Correggia, which was holding Parma, rebelled against the lordship of the Emperor, as likewise did they of Reggio; and the Florentines and the rest of the league of the Guelfs of Tuscany sent aid to them of man and horse.

-- 33.--_How there was great tumult in Florence by reason of the death of M. Pazzino de' Pazzi._

-- 34.--_How the city of Cremona rebelled against the Emperor._

In the said year 1311, on the 10th day of the said month of January, the Cremonese rebelled against the lordship of the Emperor, and drave out his people and his vicar, and this was through the suggestion of the Florentines, which still had their amba.s.sador there to treat of this, promising to the Cremonese much aid in money and in people; but the promise was ill fulfilled to them by the Florentines.

-- 35.--_How the marshal of the Emperor came to Pisa, and began war with the Florentines._

[Sidenote: 1311 A.D.]

In the said year, on the 11th of January, Henry of Namurs, brother of Count Robert of Flanders, marshal of the Emperor, came by sea to Pisa with but small following, and two days after sallied forth from Pisa with his men, and took station this side Pontadera, and all the goods of the Florentines which were coming from Pisa he caused to be captured and taken back to Pisa; whence the Florentines had great loss. For this cause the Florentines sent foot and horse to Samminiato and the frontier there.

-- 36.--_How the Paduans rebelled against the lordship of the Emperor._

In the said year, on the 15th of February, the Paduans, with the help of the Florentines and of the Bolognese, rebelled against the lordship of the Emperor, and drave out his vicar and his followers; and tumultuously slew M. Guglielmo Novello, their fellow-citizen and chief leader of the Ghibelline party in Padua.

-- 37.--_How the Emperor Henry came to the city of Pisa._ -- 38.--_How they of Spoleto were defeated by the Perugians._

-- 39.--_Of the gathering together made by King Robert and the league of Tuscany at Rome to oppose the coronation of the Emperor Henry._

[Sidenote: 1312 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 42.]

In the year 1312, in the month of April, when King Robert heard of the preparation which the king of Germany was making in Pisa, to come to Rome to be crowned, he sent forward to Rome, at the request and with the support of the Orsini, M. John, his brother, with 600 Catalan and Apulian hors.e.m.e.n, and they came to Rome the 16th day of April; and he sent to the Florentines and Lucchese and Sienese, and to the other cities of Tuscany which were in league with him, to send their forces there; wherefore there went forth from Florence on the 9th day of May, 1312, a troop of 200 hors.e.m.e.n of the best citizens, and the marshal of King Robert which was in their pay, with 300 Catalan horse and 1,000 foot, very fine soldiers; and the royal standard was borne by M. Berto di M. Pazzino dei Pazzi, a valiant and wise young knight, which died at Rome in the service of the king and of the commonwealth of Florence. And from Lucca there went 300 horse and 1,000 foot, and of Sienese 200 horse and 600 foot, and many other cities of Tuscany and of the Roman state sent men thither. Which all were in Rome on the 21st day of May, 1312, to oppose the coronation of the Emperor; and with the force of the said Orsini, of Rome, and of their followers they took the Capitol, and drave out thence by force M. Louis, of Savoy, the senator; and they took the towers and fortresses at the foot of the Capitol, above the market, and fortified Hadrian's Castle, called S. Angelo, and the church and palaces of S. Peter; and thus they had the lordship and rule over more than the half of Rome, and that, too, the most populous; and all the Transtiberine district. The Colonnesi and their following, which took the side of the Emperor, held the Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, the Coliseum, Santa Maria Ritonda, the Milizie, and Santa Savina; and thus each party was defended by bars and bolts in great strongholds. And as the people of Florence abode there, on S. John Baptist's Day, their princ.i.p.al feast, they ran the races in Rome for their cloth of crimson samite, as they were wont to do on the said day in Florence.

-- 40.--_How the Emperor Henry departed from Pisa and came to Rome._

[Sidenote: 1312 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. vi. 107.]

[Sidenote Cf. Par. xv. 109-111.]

In the said year, on the 23rd day of April, the king of Germany departed from Pisa with his people to the number of 2,000 horse and more, and took the way of the Maremma, and then by the country of Siena, and by that of Orvieto, without sojourning, and without any hindrance he came to Viterbo, and had it without opposition, forasmuch as it pertained to the lordship of the Colonnas. And as he pa.s.sed through the territory of Orvieto, the Filippeschi of Orvieto, with their following of Ghibellines, began a strife within the city against the Monaldeschi and the other Guelfs of Orvieto, to give the city to the Emperor. The Guelfs, being strong and well-armed, fought vigorously before the Ghibellines could gain the aid of the Emperor's troops, and overcame them, and drave them out of the city with many slain and captured. Then the king of Germany abode many days at Viterbo, not being able to gain admittance by the gate of S. Piero of Rome; and the Emilian Bridge over the Tiber being fortified and guarded by the forces of the Orsini, at last he departed from Viterbo, and stayed at Monte Malo; and afterwards by the forces of his followers from without, and those of the Colonnesi and their party within, he a.s.sailed the fortresses and strongholds of the Emilian Bridge, and by strength overcame them, and thus he entered into Rome on the 7th day of May, and came to Santa Savina to sojourn.