Villani's Chronicle Part 22

-- 79.--_How the Office of Priors was first created in Florence._

[Sidenote: 1282 A.D.]

In the year of Christ 1282, the city of Florence being under government of the order of the fourteen good men as the Cardinal Latino had left it, to wit eight Guelfs and six Ghibellines, as we afore made mention, it seemed to the citizens that this government of fourteen was too numerous and confused; and to the end so many divided hearts might be at one, and, above all, because it was not pleasing to the Guelfs to have the Ghibellines as partners in the government by reason of the events which were come to pa.s.s (such as the loss which King Charles had already sustained of the island of Sicily, and the coming into Tuscany of the imperial vicar, and likewise the wars begun in Romagna by the count of Montefeltro on the Ghibelline side), for the safety and welfare of the city of Florence they annulled the said office of the fourteen and created and made a new office and lords.h.i.+p for the government of the said city of Florence, to wit, the Priors of the Arts; the which name, Priors of the Arts, means to say "the first," chosen over the others; and it was taken from the Holy Gospel, where Christ says to His disciples, "Vos estis priores." And this invention and movement began among the consuls and council of the art of Calimala, to which pertained the wisest and most powerful citizens of Florence, and the most numerous following, both magnates and popolani, of those which pursued the calling of merchants, seeing the most part of them greatly loved the Guelf party and Holy Church. And the first priors of the Arts were three, whereof the names were these: Bartolo di M. Jacopo de' Bardi, for the sesto of Oltrarno and for the art of Calimala; Ros...o...b..cherelli, for the sesto of San Piero Scheraggio, for the art of the exchangers; Salvi del Chiaro Girolami, for the sesto of San Brancazio and for the woollen art. And their office began in the middle of June of the said year, and lasted for two months, unto the middle of August, and thus three priors were to succeed every two months, for the three greater Arts. And they were shut up to give audience (sleeping and eating at the charges of the commonwealth), in the house of the Badia where formerly, as we have aforesaid, the Ancients were wont to a.s.semble in the time of the old Popolo, and afterwards the fourteen. And there were a.s.signed to the said priors six constables and six messengers to summon the citizens; and these priors, with the Captain of the Popolo, had to determine the great and weighty matters of the commonwealth, and to summon and conduct councils and make regulations. And when the office had endured the two months, it was pleasing to the citizens; and for the following two months they proclaimed six, one for each sesto, and added to the said three greater Arts the art of the doctors and apothecaries, and the art of the Porta Santae Mariae, and that of the furriers and skin-dressers; and afterwards from time to time all the others were added thereto, to the number of the twelve greater Arts; and there were among them magnates, as well as popolani, great men of good repute and works, and which were artificers or merchants. And thus it went on until the second Popolo was formed in Florence, as hereafter, in due time, we shall relate. From thenceforward there were no magnates among them, but there was added thereto the gonfalonier of justice. And sometimes there were twelve priors, according to the changes in the condition of the city and special occasions that arose; and they were chosen from the number of all the twenty-one Arts, and of those which were not themselves artificers, albeit their forefathers had been artificers. The election to the said office was made by the old priors with the colleges of consuls of the twelve greater Arts, and with certain others which elected the priors for each sesto, by secret votes; and whosoever had most votes the same was made prior; and this election took place in the church of San Piero Scheraggio; and the Captain of the Popolo was stationed over against the said church in the houses which pertained to the Tizzoni. We have said so much of the beginning of this office of the priors, forasmuch as many and great changes followed therefrom to the city of Florence, as hereafter, in due place and time, we shall relate. At present we will leave telling, for a time, of the doings of Florence, and we will tell of other events which came to pa.s.s in those times.

[Sidenote: 1282 A.D.]

-- 80.--_How Pope Martin sent M. Jean d'Appia into Romagna, and how he took the city of Faenza and besieged Forl._

-- 81.--_How M. Jean d'Appia, count of Romagna, was defeated at Forl by the count of Montefeltro._

[Sidenote: Inf. xxvii. 76-78.]

[Sidenote: 1282 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xx. 118.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xxvii. 44.]

[Sidenote: Inf. x.x.xii. 122.]

In the said time, when the said M. Jean d'Appia, count of Romagna, was in Faenza, and was making war against the city of Forl, he dabbled in practices whereby he might gain the said city by treachery; the which practices Count Guido of Montefeltro himself, which was lord of the city, had set in motion and floated, as one that was master both of plots and of war, and who knew the folly of the French. At last, on the first day of May, in the year of Christ 1282, the said M. Jean came with his forces in the morning very early before day to the city of Forl, thinking to have it; and as it was ordered by the count of Montefeltro, the entrance to one gate was granted him, which he entered with part of his followers, and part he left without with the orders, if need arose, to succour those within, and if things went against them, to a.s.semble all his forces in a field under a great oak.

The French which entered into Forl rode through the city without meeting any opposition; and the count of Montefeltro, which knew all the plot, had gone forth from the city with his followers; and it was said that this same count of Montefeltro was guided by the augury and counsel of one Guido Bonatti, a roof-maker, who had turned astrologer or the like, and that it was he who prompted his actions; and for this emprise he gave him the standard and said, "Thou hast it at such a pitch, that so long as a rag of it hold, wheresoever thou bearest it thou shalt be victorious." But I more believe that his victories were won by his own wit and mastery of war. And according as he had planned, he charged those without under the tree, and put them to rout. They which had entered in, thinking the city was theirs, had given themselves to plunder and gone into the houses; and as was ordered by the count of Montefeltro, the citizens had taken off the bridles and saddles from the most of their horses; and suddenly the said count, with part of his followers, entered again into Forl by one of the gates, and overran the city; and part of his horse and foot he left in troops drawn up under the oak, as the French had been. M.

Jean d'Appia and his men, seeing themselves thus handled, when they thought they had conquered the city, held themselves for dead and betrayed, and whosoever could recover his horse fled from the city, and came to the tree without, thinking to find friends there; and when they came thither they were taken or slain by their enemies, and likewise they which had remained within the city; wherefore the French and the followers of the Church suffered great discomfiture and loss, and there died there many good French knights, and of the Latin leaders, among others, Count Taddeo da Montefeltro, cousin to Count Guido, which by reason of disputes concerning his inheritance held with the Church against the said Count Guido; and there died there Tribaldello de' Manfredi, which had betrayed Faenza, and many others; albeit the count of Romagna, M. Jean d'Appia, escaped with certain others from the said discomfiture, and returned to Faenza.

[Sidenote: 1282 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1283 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1282 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1283 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1284 A.D.]

-- 82.--_How Forl surrendered to the Church, and how there was peace in Romagna._ -- 83.--_How the king of Armenia with a great company of Tartars was defeated at Cammella [Emesa] in Syria by the soldan of Egypt._ -- 84.--_How the war between the Genoese and Pisans began._ -- 85.--_How the prince, son of King Charles, with many barons of France and of Provence, came to Florence to march against the Sicilians._ -- 86.--_How King Charles and King Peter of Aragon engaged to fight in single combat at Bordeaux, in Gascony, for the possession of Sicily._ -- 87.--_How on the appointed day, King Peter, of Aragon, failed to appear at Bordeaux, wherefore he was excommunicated and deposed by the Pope._ -- 88.--_How there was in Florence a flood of waters and great scarcity of victuals._ -- 89.--_How a n.o.ble court and festival was held in the city of Florence, whereat all were arrayed in white._ -- 90.--_How the Genoese did great hurt to the Pisans returning from Sardinia._ -- 91.--_Still of the doings of the Pisans and the Genoese._ -- 92.--_How the Genoese discomfited the Pisans at Meloria._ -- 93.--_How Charles, prince of Salerno, was defeated and taken prisoner at sea, by Ruggeri di Loria, with the fleet of the Sicilians._ -- 94.--_How King Charles arrived at Naples with his fleet, and then made ready to pa.s.s to Sicily._

-- 95.--_How the good King Charles pa.s.sed from this life at the city of Foggia in Apulia._

[Sidenote: 1284 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Purg. vii. 113, 124, 128.]

[Sidenote: Par. viii. 31, 49-72; ix. 1.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. viii. 82, 83; Purg. xx. 79-84.]

[Sidenote: Par. viii. 76-84.]

When King Charles had returned with his host to Brindisi, he disbanded them and returned to Naples to make his arrangements, and to furnish himself with money and with men to go again to Sicily the coming spring. And like one whose anxious mind could not rest, when mid-December was past, he returned into Apulia, to be at Brindisi to hasten on his fleet. When he was at Foggia, in Apulia, as it pleased G.o.d, he fell sick of a grievous sickness, and pa.s.sed from this life on the day following the Epiphany, on the 7th day of January, in the year of Christ 1284. But before he died, with great contrition taking the Body of Christ, he said with great reverence these words: "Sire Dieu, comme je crois vraiment que vous etes mon Sauveur, ainsi je vous prie, que vous ayez merci de mon ame; ainsi comme je fis la prise du royaume de Cicile plus pour servir sainte Eglise que pour mon profit ou autre convoitise, ainsi vous me pardonniez mes peches;" and a short time after he pa.s.sed from this life, and his body was brought to Naples; and after great lamentation had been made over his death, he was buried at the archbishop's at Naples with great honour. Concerning this death of King Charles there was a great marvel, for the same day whereon he died, the tidings of his death were published by one Brother Arlotto, a minister of the Minor Friars, and by M. Giardino da Carmignanola, a teacher in the University; and when this came to the notice of the king of France he sent for them to learn whence they knew it. They said that they knew his nativity, which was under the lords.h.i.+p of Saturn, and by its influence had resulted his exaltations and his adversities; and some said that they knew it by revelation of some spirit, for each of them was a great astrologer and necromancer.

This Charles was the most feared and redoubted lord, and the most valiant in arms, and of the most lofty designs, of all the kings of the house of France from Charles the Great to his own day, and the one which most exalted the Church of Rome; and he would have done more if, at the end of his life, fortune had not turned against him.

Afterwards there came as guardian and defender of the kingdom, Robert, count of Artois, cousin of the said king, with many French knights, and with the princess, and with the prince's son, grandson to King Charles, which was called after him Charles Martel, and which was some twelve or thirteen years old. Of King Charles there remained no other heir than Charles II., prince of Salerno, of whom we have made mention. And this Charles was comely in person, and gracious and liberal, and whilst his father was living and afterwards he had many children by the princess, his wife, daughter and heiress of the king of Hungary. The first was the said Charles Martel, which was afterwards king of Hungary; the second was Louis, which became a Minor Friar, and afterwards was bishop of Toulouse; the third was Robert, duke of Calabria; the fourth was Philip, prince of Taranto; the fifth was Raymond Berenger (count that was to be of Provence); the sixth was John, prince of Morea; the seventh was Peter, count of Eboli.

[Sidenote: 1284 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1285 A.D.]

-- 96.--_How the prince, son to King Charles, was condemned to death by the Sicilians, and afterwards was sent prisoner into Catalonia by Queen Constance._ -- 97.--_How there was a great flood of waters in Florence, which overwhelmed part of the Poggio de' Magnoli._ -- 98.--_How the Florentines, with the Genoese and with the Tuscans, made a league against the Pisans, whereby the Ghibellines were driven out of Pisa._ -- 99.--_How the Florentines began the foundation of the gates, to build the new walls of the city._ -- 100.--_Of the great events that came to pa.s.s among the Tartars of Turigio._ -- 101.--_How the Saracens took and destroyed Margatto in Syria._ -- 102.--_How King Philip of France went with a great army against the king of Aragon._ -- 103.--_How the king of Aragon was discomfited and wounded by the French, of the which wound he afterwards died._ -- 104.--_How the king of France took the city of Gerona, and how his fleet was discomfited at sea._

-- 105.--_How the king of France departed from Aragon, and died at Perpignan._

[Sidenote: 1285 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Purg. vii. 105.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. vii. 109.]

[Sidenote: Par. xix. 143-148.]

King Philip of France, seeing his fortune so changed and adverse, and his fleet, which was bringing victuals to his host, taken and burnt, was overcome with grief and melancholy in such wise that he fell grievously sick with fever and a flux, wherefore his barons took counsel to depart and return to Toulouse, and of necessity they were forced thereto by lack of victuals, and by reason of the adverse season of autumn, and because of the sickness of their king. And thus they departed about the first day of October, carrying their sick king in a litter, and they dispersed with but little order, each one getting away as best he could and most quickly; wherefore, when they were crossing the difficult pa.s.s of the Schiuse through the great mountains of Pirris [? the defiles of the great mountains of Pertus], the Aragonese and Catalans which were at the pa.s.s, sought to hinder the pa.s.sing of the litter wherein the king of France lay sick. And when the French saw this, they gave battle in despair to them which were at the pa.s.s, to the end they might not take the body of the king, and by force of arms they broke them up and discomfited them, and drave them from the pa.s.s; but many of the French common people on foot were taken and slain, and many mules and horses and much baggage destroyed and taken by the Catalans and Aragonese. And a little while after the departure of the king of France and of his host, the king of Aragon received Gerona back on conditions. And when the host of the king of France in guise as if defeated came to Perpignan, as it pleased G.o.d, King Philip of France pa.s.sed from this life on the 6th day of October, in the year of Christ 1285; and in Perpignan the queen of Morea, his wife, with her company made great lamentation and sorrow. And afterwards Philip and Charles, his sons, caused the body to be brought to Paris, and he was buried at S. Denys with his predecessors, with great honour. This enterprise against Aragon was attended with greater loss of men and more cost in horses and money, than the realm of France had almost ever suffered in times past; for afterwards the king which succeeded the said Philip, and the greater part of the barons, were always in debt and ill provided with money.

And after the death of King Philip of France, King Philip the Fair, his eldest son, was made king of France, and crowned king in the city of Rheims, with the Queen Joanna of Navarre, his wife, on the day of the Epiphany next following. And note, that in one year or little more, as it pleased G.o.d, there died four such great lords of Christendom, as were Pope Martin, and the good Charles, king of Sicily and of Apulia, and the valiant King Peter of Aragon, and the powerful King Philip of France, of whom we have made mention. This King Philip was a lord of a great heart, and in his life did high emprises; first, when he went against the king of Spain, and then against the count of Foix, and then against the king of Aragon, with greater forces than ever his predecessor had gathered. We will leave now speaking of the doings beyond the mountains, whereof we have said enough for this time, and we will go back to speak of the doings of our Italy which came to pa.s.s in the said time.

[Sidenote: 1285 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Purg. xxiv. 20-24.]

[Sidenote: 1286 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1287 A.D.]

-- 106.--_Of the death of Pope Martin IV., and how Honorius de' Savelli of Rome was made Pope._ -- 107.--_How a certain Genoese flotilla was taken by the Pisans._ -- 108.--_How Count Guido of Montefeltro, lord of Romagna, surrendered to the Church of Rome._ -- 109.--_How Pope Honorius changed the habit of the Carmelite Friars._ -- 110.--_How the bishop of Arezzo caused Poggio a Santa Cecilia, in the territory of Siena, to rebel, and how it was recovered._ -- 111.--_How there was great scarcity of victual in Italy._ -- 112.--_How M. Prezzivalle dal Fiesco came into Tuscany as Imperial Vicar._ -- 113.--_How Pope Honorius de' Savelli died._

-- 114.--_Of a notable thing which came to pa.s.s in Florence at this time._

[Sidenote: 1287 A.D.]

In the said year, M. Matteo da Fogliano di Reggio, being Podesta of Florence, had taken and condemned to be beheaded for murder one Totto de' Mazzinghi da Campi, which was a great warrior and leader; and as he was on his way to execution, M. Corso dei Donati with his following would have rescued him from the officers by force; for the which thing the said Podesta caused the great bell to be sounded: wherefore all the good people of Florence armed themselves and a.s.sembled at the palace, some on horse and some on foot, crying: "Justice, justice."

For the which thing the said Podesta carried out his sentence, but whereas the said Totto should have been beheaded, he caused him to be dragged along the ground, and then hung by the neck, and he condemned to a fine those who had begun the uproar and impeded justice.