Villani's Chronicle Part 11

[Sidenote: Par. xi. 43-117.]

In the time of the said Pope Innocent began the holy Order of the Minor Friars, the founder whereof was the blessed Francis, born in the city of a.s.sisi in the Duchy, and by this Pope the said Order was accepted and approved with privilege, forasmuch as it was altogether founded on humility, and love, and poverty, following in all things the holy gospel of Christ, and shunning all human delights. And the said Pope saw in a vision S. Francis supporting the Church of the Lateran upon his shoulders, as he afterwards, after the same manner, beheld S. Dominic, the which vision was a figure and prophecy how by them should be supported Holy Church and the faith of Christ.

-- 25.--_How the Order of the Preaching Friars began._

[Sidenote: Par. xi. 118-123; xii. 46-105.]

[Sidenote: 1216 A.D.]

And still in the time of the said Pope, after the same manner began the Order of the Preaching Friars, the founder whereof was the blessed Dominic, born in Spain. But in this Pope's time it was not confirmed, albeit in a vision it seemed to the said Pope that the Church of the Lateran was falling upon him, and the blessed Dominic sustained it on his shoulders. And by reason of this vision he purposed to confirm it, but death overtook him, and his successor, Pope Honorius, afterwards confirmed it the year of Christ 1216. The visions of the aforesaid Innocent, concerning S. Francis and S. Dominic, were true, for the Church of G.o.d was falling through many errors and many licentious sins, not fearing G.o.d; and the said blessed Dominic, through his holy learning and preaching, corrected it, and was the first exterminator of heretics therefrom; and the blessed Francis, through his humility and apostolic life and penitence, corrected the wanton life, and brought back Christians to penitence and to the life of salvation. And truly the Erythraean Sibyl, tracing out these times, prophesied of these two holy Orders, saying that two stars would arise to illuminate the world.

-- 26.--_How the Florentines destroyed the castle of Frondigliano._

[Sidenote: 1199 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 62, 63.]

In the year of Christ 1199, Count Henry della Tosa and his colleagues, being consuls of the city of Florence, the Florentines laid siege to the fortress of Frondigliano, which had rebelled and was making war upon the commonwealth of Florence, and they took it and destroyed it to the very foundations, and it was never built again. And in the same year the Florentines marched against Simifonte, which was a very strong place and did not obey the city.

-- 27.--_How they of Samminiato destroyed Sanginiegio, and went back to live on the hill._ -- 28.--_How the French and Venetians took Constantinople._ -- 29.--_How the Tartars descended from the mountains of Gog and Magog._

-- 30.--_How the Florentines destroyed the strongholds of Simifonti and of Combiata._

[Sidenote: 1202 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 62, 63.]

In the year of Christ 1202, when Aldobrandino, of the Barucci of Santa Maria Maggiore (a very ancient family), and his colleagues were consuls in Florence, the Florentines took the stronghold of Simifonti, and destroyed it, and took the hill into possession of the commonwealth, forasmuch as it had been long time at war with the Florentines. And the Florentines gained it by the treachery of a certain man of Sandonato in Poci, which surrendered a tower, and claimed for this cause that he and his descendants should be free in Florence from all taxes; and this was granted, albeit the said traitor was first slain, in the said tower, by the inhabitants, as it was being attacked. And in the said year the Florentines went with their army against the fortress of Combiata, which was very strong, at the head of the river Marina, towards Mugello, which pertained to Cattani of the country which would not obey the commonwealth and made war against it. And when the said strongholds were destroyed, they made a decree that they should never be rebuilt.

-- 31.--_Destruction of Montelupo, and how the Florentines gained Montemurlo._

[Sidenote: 1203 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1207 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 64.]

[Sidenote: 1209 A.D.]

In the year of Christ 1203, when Brunellino Brunelli de' Razzanti was consul in Florence with his colleagues, the Florentines destroyed the fortress of Montelupo because it would not obey the commonwealth. And in this same year the Pistoians took the castle of Montemurlo from the Counts Guidi; but a little while after, in September, the Florentines went thither with an army on behalf of the Counts Guidi, and retook it, and gave it back to the Counts Guidi. And afterwards, in 1207, the Florentines made peace between the Pistoians and the Counts Guidi, but afterwards the counts not being well able to defend Montemurlo from the Pistoians, forasmuch as it was too near to them, and they had built over against it the fortress of Montale, the Counts Guidi sold it to the commonwealth of Florence for 5,000 lbs. of small florins, which would now be worth 5,000 golden florins; and this was in the year of Christ 1209, but the Counts of Porciano never would give their word for their share in the sale.

-- 32.--_How the Florentines elected their first Podesta._

[Sidenote: 1207 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xxiii. 105-107.]

In the year of Christ 1207, the Florentines chose for the first time a foreign magistrate, for until that time the city had been ruled by the government of citizen consuls, of the greatest and best of the city, with the council of the senate, to wit, of 100 good men; and these consuls, after the manner of Rome, entirely guided and governed the city, and administered law and executed justice; and they remained in office for one year. And there were four consuls so long as the city was divided into quarters, one to each gate; and afterwards there were six, when the city was divided into sesti. But our forefathers did not make mention of the names of all, but of one of them of greatest estate and fame, saying: 'In the time of such a consul and of his colleagues'; but afterwards when the city was increased in inhabitants and in vices, and there came to be more ill-deeds, it was agreed for the good of the commonwealth, to the end the citizens might not have so great a burden of government, and that justice might not miscarry by reason of prayers, or fear, or private malice, or any other cause, that they should invite a gentleman from some other city, who might be their Podesta for a year, and administer civil justice with his a.s.sessors and judges, and carry into execution sentences and penalties on the person. And the first Podesta in Florence was Gualfredotto of Milan, in the said year; and he dwelt in the Bishop's Palace, forasmuch as there was as yet no palace of the commonwealth in Florence. Yet the government of the consuls did not therefore cease, but they reserved to themselves the administration of all other things in the commonwealth. And by the said government the city was ruled until the time of the Primo Popolo in Florence, as hereafter we shall make mention, and then was created the office of the Ancients.

[Sidenote: 1208 A.D.]

-- 33.--_How the Florentines defeated the Sienese at Montalto._ -- 34.--_How the Sienese sued for peace to the Florentines and obtained it._ -- 35.--_How Otho IV. was crowned Emperor; and how he became the enemy and persecutor of Holy Church._

-- 36.--_How during Otho's lifetime Frederick II. of Suabia was elected Emperor by the desire of the Church of Rome._

The said Otho being the enemy of the Church, and being deposed by the general council of the Empire, the Church arranged with the electors of Germany that they should elect to be king of the Romans, Frederick, the young king of Sicily, who was in Germany, and he won a great victory against the said Otho; and afterwards the said Otho, returning to his duty, went on crusade to Damietta over seas, and there died, and the election was left to Frederick; and afterwards, in the time of Pope Honorius III., who succeeded to the aforesaid Innocent, the said Frederick of Germany came to Venice, and then by sea into his kingdom of Apulia, and then to Rome; and by the said Pope Honorius and by the Romans he was received with great honour, and crowned Emperor, as hereafter in treating of him we will make mention. We will leave speaking of the Emperor for a time, and will tell of the doings of the Florentines up to the time of his coronation.

-- 37.--_Concerning the death of the old Count Guido, and of his progeny._

[Sidenote: 1213 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 64, 98.]

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 112, xvi. 99.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 94-99. Inf. xvi. 37.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Epistolae Dant. Allig. adscriptae, i.-iii.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xvi. 34-39. Inf. x.x.x. 73-78. Cf. Epist. ii. Cf. Purg.

xiv. 43-45.]

In the year of Christ 1213, there died the Count Guido Vecchio, which left behind him five sons; but one died, leaving those who had Poppi as the heirs of his portion, forasmuch as he left no children; and from the other four sons were descended all the Counts Guidi. As to this Count Guido, it is said that in ancient times his forbears were great barons in Germany, which came over with the Emperor Otho I., who gave them the territory of Modigliana in Romagna, and there they remained; and afterwards their descendants, by reason of their power, were lords over almost all Romagna, and made their headquarters in Ravenna, but because of the outrages they wrought on the citizens concerning their wives, and other tyrannies, in a popular tumult they were driven out of Ravenna, pursued, and slain in one day, so that none escaped either small or great, save one young child which was named Guido, the which was at Modigliana at nurse, which was surnamed Guido Besangue [drink-blood], through the disaster of his family, as in the story of the Emperor Otho we before made mention. This Guido was the father of the said Count Guido Vecchio, whence all the Counts Guidi are descended. This Count Guido Vecchio took to wife the daughter of M. Bellincione Berti of the Rovignani, which was the greatest and the most honoured knight in Florence, and his houses which were at Porta San Piero above the Old Gate descended by heritage to the Counts. This lady was named Gualdrada, and he took her for her beauty and her fair speech, beholding her in S. Reparata, with the other ladies and maidens of Florence. For when the Emperor Otho IV.

came to Florence, and saw the fair ladies of the city a.s.sembled in Santa Reparata, in his honour, this maiden most pleased the Emperor; and her father saying to the Emperor that he had it in his power to bid her kiss him, the maiden made answer that there was no man living which should kiss her, save he were her husband, for the which speech, the Emperor much commended her; and the said Count Guido being taken with love of her by reason of her graciousness, and by the counsel of the said Otho, the Emperor, took her to wife, not regarding that she was of less n.o.ble lineage than he, nor regarding her dowry; whence all the Counts Guidi are born from the said Count and the said lady after this fas.h.i.+on; for, as aforesaid, there were left four sons which were the heirs: the first was named William, from whom was born Count Guido Novello and Count Simon, who were Ghibellines; but by reason of wrongs which Count Simon endured of Guido Novello, his brother, concerning his heritage, he became a Guelf and entered into league with the Guelfs of Florence; and from this Simon was born Count Guido of Battifolle; the second son was named Roger, from whom were born Count Guido Guerra and Count Salvatico, and these held the side of the Guelfs; the third was named Guido of Romena, whence are descended the family of Romena, which have been both Guelfs and Ghibellines; the fourth was Count Tegrimo, whence are the family of Porciano, which were always Ghibellines. The aforesaid Emperor Otho gave said Count Guido the lords.h.i.+p of Casentino. We have spoken at such length of the said Count Guido (albeit in another place we have treated of the beginning of his race), forasmuch as he was a man of worth, and from him are descended all the Counts Guidi, and because his descendants were afterwards much mixed up with the doings of the Florentines, as in due time we will make mention.

-- 38.--_How the parties of the Guelfs and Ghibellines arose in Florence._

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 136-144.]

[Sidenote: 1215 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xxviii. 103-111. Par. xvi. 136-138.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 145-147.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 128.]

In the year of Christ 1215, M. Gherardo Orlandi being Podesta in Florence, one M. Bondelmonte dei Bondelmonti, a n.o.ble citizen of Florence, had promised to take to wife a maiden of the house of the Amidei, honourable and n.o.ble citizens; and afterwards as the said M.

Bondelmonte, who was very charming and a good horseman, was riding through the city, a lady of the house of the Donati called to him, reproaching him as to the lady to whom he was betrothed, that she was not beautiful or worthy of him, and saying: "I have kept this my daughter for you;" whom she showed to him, and she was most beautiful; and immediately by the inspiration of the devil he was so taken by her, that he was betrothed and wedded to her, for which thing the kinsfolk of the first betrothed lady, being a.s.sembled together, and grieving over the shame which M. Bondelmonte had done to them, were filled with the accursed indignation, whereby the city of Florence was destroyed and divided. For many houses of the n.o.bles swore together to bring shame upon the said M. Bondelmonte, in revenge for these wrongs.