Villani's Chronicle Part 34

In the said year 1317, on the 15th day of September, the city of Genoa being under popular government, but the Grimaldi and the Fiescadori and their Guelf party being stronger than the d'Oria and their Ghibellines (on the one hand because King Robert favoured the Guelfs, and on the other hand because the Spinoli, which were of the Ghibelline party, and in exile from Genoa, were enemies of the d'Oria), certain of the house of the Grimaldi, by reason of enmity against the d'Oria, reinstated the Spinoli in Genoa, under pretence that they would abide under their command and that of the commonwealth. When they of the house of d'Oria and their friends perceived this, they feared greatly to be betrayed by the Guelfs and by the Grimaldi; and the city was all in arms and uproar; and the d'Oria not finding themselves powerful, by reason of the opposition of the Guelfs, and also of the Ghibelline Spinoli their enemies, concealed themselves and their friends, and showed no force of arms; by the which thing the Guelfs were encouraged and took up arms, and chose as captains of Genoa, M. Carlo dal Fiesco and M. Guasparre Grimaldi, on the 10th day of November, 1317. And when the Spinoli which were returned to Genoa saw that the city was come altogether to the Guelf party, and knew that this was through the care and industry of King Robert, straightway they agreed with the d'Oria and with their Ghibelline friends, and they all departed from the city together, on no other compulsion; whence afterwards ensued great scandal and war, as hereafter will be told, forasmuch as the said two houses of the d'Oria and the Spinola were the most powerful families of Italy on the side of the Ghibellines and the empire.

-- 88.--_How the Ghibellines of Lombardy besieged Cremona._

-- 89.--_How M. Cane della Scala led an army against the Paduans, and took many castles from them._

In the said year, in the month of December, the said M. Cane with his forces led his host against the Paduans, and took Monselici and Esti and a great part of their castles, and brought them so low that the following February, not being able to oppose him, they made peace according to M. Cane's pleasure, and promised to restore the Ghibellines to Padua; and this they did.

-- 90.--_How the exiles from Genoa with the force of the Ghibellines of Lombardy besieged Genoa._

[Sidenote: 1318 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Convivio iv. 20: 38-41.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. iv. 25. Purg. iii. 49.]

In the year 1318, when they of the houses of d'Oria and of Spinola with their following were in banishment from Genoa, and by reason of their power maintained themselves on the Riviera of Genoa on their estates, they sent amba.s.sadors into Lombardy and made a treaty and league with M. Maffeo Visconti, captain of Milan, and with his sons and with all the Lombard league which were Imperial and Ghibelline.

For the which thing M. Marco Visconti, son of the said Maffeo, came from Lombardy with a great army of soldiers, Germans and Lombards, on horse and on foot, and with the said exiles from Genoa laid siege to the said city on the side of Co' di Fare and of the suburbs; and this was on the 25th day of March, 1318; and a few days after they of the house of d'Oria, with the aid of the others, led another army against the city of Albingano, on the Riviera of Genoa, and this they took, under conditions, in a few days. Afterwards, while the said host was still at Genoa, M. Edoardo d'Oria made a compact with the Abao [chief magistrate] of the people of Saona, and entered into the said city of Saona by night secretly, and straightway, with the aid of the Ghibellines of the city (for the greater part thereof were of the Imperial party), caused the said city to rebel against the commonwealth of Genoa in the month of April; for the which thing the forces of the exiles from Genoa increased greatly, so that well-nigh all the Western Riviera was under their lordship, save the strongholds of Monaco and Ventimiglia and the city of Noli; and in the Eastern Riviera they held Lerici.

-- 91.--_How the Ghibellines of Lombardy took Cremona._

-- 92.--_How the exiles from Genoa took the suburbs of Prea._

[Sidenote: 1318 A.D.]

In the said year, at the end of May, the said exiles had besieged the city of Co' di Fare for two months, and it was bravely held by them within by means of a cunning device of ropes which kept the tower in communication with a vessel in the port of Genoa, and by this means they were supplied and provisioned in spite of all the host; wherefore the said exiles took counsel how they might dig and cut away the ground under the said tower. They within, fearing that it might fall, surrendered it on condition that their lives should be spared, and some said for money; and when they had returned into Genoa, they were condemned to death, and were cast down from a height. While the refugees were busied with the said siege, they continually attacked the suburbs of Prea, which are without the Oxen Gate; and fighting manfully, they took the place on the 25th day of June in the said year, whereby they advanced greatly, and the inhabitants of Genoa lost in like measure; for the host without increased, and gathered in the suburbs, and took the mountain of Peraldo and of S. Bernardo above Genoa, and surrounded the city; and above Bisagno they pitched another camp, so that the city was all besieged by land, and by sea it suffered great persecution from the galleys of Saona, and from the exiles, which had the lordship over the sea.

-- 93.--_How King Robert came by sea to succour Genoa._

[Sidenote: 1318 A.D.]

In the said year 1318, the Guelf party being thus besieged in Genoa by sea and by land, they sent their amba.s.sadors to Naples to King Robert, who had been the cause of the whole disturbance in Genoa, that he should succour them and aid them without delay; and if he did not do this, they could not hold out, so straitened were they by the siege and by want of victuals. For the which thing King Robert straightway raised a great fleet of forty-seven transport vessels and twenty-five light galleys, and many other boats and craft laden with provisions; and he in person, with the prince of Taranto, and with M. John, prince of the Morea, his brothers, and with other barons and with hors.e.m.e.n to the number of 1,200, departed from Naples on the 10th day of July, and came by sea, and entered into Genoa on the 21st day of July, 1318, and was honourably received by the citizens as their lord, and heartened the city, which could scarce hold out for lack of victuals.

Immediately when the king was come to Genoa, the exiles broke up the camp which they had in Bisagno, and withdrew to the mountains of San Bernardo and of Peraldo, and to the suburbs of Prea towards the west.

-- 94.--_How the Genoese gave the lordship of Genoa to King Robert._

[Sidenote: 1318 A.D.]

In the said year, on the 27th day of July, the captains of Genoa and the Abao of the people, and the Podesta, in full parliament, renounced their jurisdiction and lordship, and with the consent of the people gave the lordship and care of the city and of the Riviera to Pope John and to King Robert for ten years, according to the const.i.tutions of Genoa; and King Robert took it for the Pope and for himself, as one who had long desired it, thinking when he should have got the lordship of Genoa quietly in his hands, to be able to recover the island of Sicily, and overcome all his enemies; and it was for this purpose that, long ere this, he had stirred up revolution in the city, so as to drive thence the Spinoli and the d'Oria, forasmuch as ofttimes whilst they were lords of Genoa, they had opposed King Robert and King Charles, his father, and had helped them of Aragon which held the island of Sicily, as before we have made mention.

-- 95.--_Of the active war which the exiles of Genoa with the Lombards made against King Robert._

[Sidenote: 1318 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. xiii. 152.]

The host without Genoa was not weakened by reason of King Robert's coming, but was largely increased by the aid of the lords of Lombardy, which held with the Imperial party; and they renewed their league with the emperor of Constantinople, and with King Frederick of Sicily, and with the marquis of Monferrat, and with Castruccio, lord of Lucca, and also secretly with the Pisans. And whilst they were at the siege, they were continually making strong and fierce a.s.saults upon the city, hurling things against it from many engines, and attacking it in many places by day and by night--being men of great vigour--in such wise that King Robert with all his forces could gain nothing against them in any part. Rather by digging underground they undermined a great piece of the wall of Porta Santa Agnesa, and caused it to fall, and some of them entered by force into the city. Wherefore the king in person armed himself with all his followers, and they met one another with great vigour upon the ruined walls with swords in hand, but the great barons and knights of the king drove back their enemies with great loss both to one side and to the other, and they rebuilt the walls with great labour in a short time, working both day and night.

The king and his followers being thus besieged and attacked in Genoa, sent for aid into Tuscany, and received it from many quarters: from the Florentines, 100 horse and 500 foot, all with lilies for their device, and the same number from Bologna, and likewise from Romagna, and from many other places, and they went to Genoa by sea by the way of Talamone; so that when his allies were come to him, the king was supported in Genoa on the first day of November of the said year by more than 2,500 horse, and by footmen without number. Without were more than 1,500 horse, and the captain of the host was M. Marco Visconti of Milan, and they held the hill fortresses round about in such wise that the king could not go afield; and thus abode the said hosts in close war and skirmishes, hurling and shooting at one another all the said summer, and also the winter, forasmuch as neither one side nor the other could get the advantage. And thus abiding, M. Marco Visconti was so presumptuous as to request King Robert to fight with him in single combat, and whichever was victorious should be lord, which put the king into great scorn.

-- 96.--_How in the city of Siena there was a conspiracy, and uproar, and great changes followed thereupon._

-- 97.--_How King Robert's followers discomfited the exiles from Genoa at the village of Sesto, and how they departed from the siege of the city._

[Sidenote: 1318 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Johannes de Virgilio. Carmen _v._ 29.]

In the said year 1318, after that King Robert had been besieged in Genoa for more than six months, as already narrated, he bethought him that he could not crush his enemies without unless he could land his army between the suburbs and Saona; and he raised a fleet of sixty galleys and transport vessels, and a.s.sembled 850 horse, and of foot full 15,000; and together with them were some Florentines and other Tuscans, and Bolognese and Romagnese; and they departed from Genoa on the 4th day of February, to bring the said people into the country around Sesto. And when the exiles and those without heard this, straightway they sent thither of their people on horse and on foot in great numbers to dispute the sh.o.r.e with King Robert's host, to the end the king's people might not come to land. Which people arrived on the 5th day of February, and with great travail, pushing empty casks before them, fought hand to hand with the enemy, the chief of them being Florentines and other Tuscans, which first descended from the galleys under the protection of the bowmen of the galleys which were by the sh.o.r.e; and by force of arms they landed, and broke up and discomfited the forces of the exiles upon the sh.o.r.e of Sesto, and many thereof were slain and taken prisoners; and they which escaped fled into the suburbs and to Saona, and the night following all the host which were in the suburbs and in the mountains of Paraldo and of San Bernardo departed and went towards Lombardy, and left all their baggage without having been pursued, forasmuch as the king would not that his people should follow after them because of the dangers of those mountains. Afterwards they of the city of Genoa recovered the suburbs of Prea and Co' di Fare and all the forts outside the city.

[Sidenote: 1319 A.D.]

-- 98.--_How King Robert departed from Genoa and went to the papal court in Provence._

-- 99.--_How the exiles from Genoa with the Lombards returned to the siege of Genoa._

[Sidenote: 1319 A.D.]

In the said year 1319, when the exiles from Genoa heard of the departure of King Robert, they equipped in Saona twenty-eight galleys, whereof M. Conrad d'Oria was admiral, and they sent into Lombardy for aid, and a.s.sembled 1,000 and more horse, whereof the greater part were Germans, and a great number of common folk; and on the 27th day of July of the said year they returned with their army to Genoa, and set up their camp in Ponzevera, and on the 3rd day of August following they drew nigh to the city, attacking the suburbs in many places by land from the side of Bisagno; and the said galleys entered the port and strongly attacked the city, but gained nothing. And on the 7th day of August following there was a great battle in the plain of Bisagno between the exiles and those within the city, with great loss both to the one side and to the other, without either party having the honour of the victory, for those without retreated to the hill, and those within returned into the city; and afterwards they fought continually by day and by night against the city by sea and by land.

-- 100.--_How M. Cane della Scala took the suburbs of Padua._

In the said year 1319, in August, M. Cane della Scala, with the exiles from Padua, whom the Paduans would not restore to the city according to the compact made by M. Cane, came with an army against Padua, with 2,000 horse and 10,000 foot, and took the suburbs, and set up there three camps in order the better to besiege it.

[Sidenote: 1320 A.D.]

-- 101.--_How the Guelfs of Lombardy retook Cremona._ -- 102.--_How M.

Ugo dal Balzo was routed at Alessandria._ -- 103.--_How the refugees from Genoa retook the suburbs of Genoa._ -- 104.--_How the Ghibellines took Spoleto._ -- 105.--_How the king of Tunis recovered his lordship._ -- 106.--_How Castruccio, lord of Lucca, broke peace with the Florentines, and began war against them again._ -- 107.--_How folk of the refugees from Genoa were routed at Lerici._ -- 108.--_How the Genoese took Bingane._ -- 109.--_How the Pope and the Church invited M.

Philip of Valois to come into Lombardy._ -- 110.--_How M. Philip of Valois returned into France with shame, having gained nothing._ -- 111.--_How Castruccio marched upon the Genoese Riviera._ -- 112.--_How Frederick of Sicily sent his fleet of galleys to besiege Genoa._ -- 113.--_How King Robert equipped his fleet of galleys to oppose that of the Sicilians, and what it accomplished._ -- 114.--_Of the same._ -- 115.--_How the Florentines forced Castruccio to return from the siege of Genoa._ -- 116.--_Of the a.s.saults which the exiles from Genoa and the Sicilians made upon the city, wherein they were worsted._ -- 117.--_How the exiles from Genoa laid waste Chiaveri._ -- 118.--_How the exiles from Genoa took Noli, and did divers acts of war._ -- 119.--_How the king of Spain's brother was routed by the Saracens of Granada._ -- 120.--_How the brothers of the Hospital defeated the Turks with their fleet at Rhodes._

-- 121.--_How M. Cane della Scala being at the siege of Padua, was defeated by the Paduans and by the count of Gortz._

[Sidenote: 1320 A.D.]

In the said year 1320, M. Cane della Scala, lord of Verona, had besieged the city of Padua with all his forces continually for more than a year, and having taken from that city well-nigh all its territory and strongholds, and having defeated them many times, had so crushed the city that it could hold out no longer, forasmuch as he had surrounded it entirely with ramparts occupied by his men, so that no provisions could enter therein. The said Paduans, well-nigh despairing of any escape, turned to the duke of Austria, king elect of the Romans, which sent to their succour the count of Gortz and the lord of Vals, with 500 steel-capped hors.e.m.e.n, and they suddenly, and as it were in secret, entered into Padua with these their followers. The said M. Cane, by reason of his great confidence and pride in his victories, and the great number of horse and of foot which were in his army, cared little for the Paduans, and by reason of the long siege, being too secure, had his troops in ill order. It came to pa.s.s that on the 25th day of August, 1320, the said count of Gortz, with his Friolese and Germans, and with the Paduans, sallied forth suddenly from the city, and vigorously a.s.sailed the host. M. Cane, with some of his ill-ordered horse, thinking to beat them back, gave battle, and by the count of Gortz and the Paduans was discomfited and unhorsed and wounded, and scarce came off with his life by the help of his followers, and escaped on a horse to Monselice; and his host was all routed, and many of his followers were slain or taken prisoners, and all their belongings lost; and thus by want of foresight the good fortune of this victorious tyrant changed to bad. At this siege of Padua died Uguccione della f.a.ggiuola at Cittadella [_al._ In the city of Verona] of sickness, being come to aid M. Cane. He was the other great tyrant, which so persecuted the Florentines and Lucchese, as before we made mention.