PISA OR GENOA?--GIUDICE DELLA ROCCA.
Corsica was now rent into factions. One section of the inhabitants
inclined to Pisa, another to Genoa, many of the seigniors maintained
an independent position, and the Terra del Commune kept itself apart.
The Pisans, though hard pressed by their powerful foes in Italy, were
still unwilling to give up Corsica. They made an islander of the old
family of Cinarca, their Lieutenant and Giudice, and committed to him
the defence of his country against Genoa.
This man's name was Sinucello, and he became famous under the
appellation of Giudice della Rocca. His patriotism and heroic courage,
his wisdom and love of justice, have given him a place among those who
in barbarous times have distinguished themselves by their individual
excellencies. The Cinarchesi, it is said, had been driven by one of the
papal margraves to Sardinia. Sinucello was a descendant of the exiled
family. He had gone to Pisa and attained to eminence in the service
of the republic. The hopes of the Pisans were now centred in him. They
made him Count and Judge of the island, gave him some ships, and sent
him to Corsica in the year 1280. He succeeded, with the aid of his
adherents there, in overpowering the Genoese party among the seigniors,
and restoring the Pisan ascendency. The Genoese sent Thomas Spinola
with troops. Spinola suffered a severe defeat at the hands of Giudice.
The war continued many years, Giudice carrying it on with indefatigable
vigour in the name of the Pisan republic; but after the Genoese had
won against the Pisans the great naval engagement at Meloria, in which
the ill-fated Ugolino commanded, the power of the Pisans declined, and
Corsica was no longer to be maintained.
After the victory the Genoese made themselves masters of the east
coast of Corsica. They intrusted the subjugation of the island, and the
expulsion of the brave Giudice, to their General Luchetto Doria. But
Doria too found himself severely handled by his opponent; and for years
this able man continued to make an effectual resistance, keeping at
bay both the Genoese and the seigniors of the island, which seemed now
to have fallen into a state of complete anarchy. Giudice is one of the
favourite national heroes of the chroniclers: they throw an air of the
marvellous round his noble and truly Corsican figure, and tell romantic
stories of his long-continued struggles. However unimportant these
may be in a historical point of view, still they are characteristic of
the period, the country, and the men. Giudice had six daughters, who
were married to persons of high rank in the island. His bitter enemy,
Giovanninello, had also six daughters, equally well married. The six
sons-in-law of the latter form a conspiracy against Giudice, and in
one night kill seventy fighting men of his retainers. This gives rise
to a separation of the entire island into two parties, and a feud like
that between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, which lasts for two hundred
years. Giovanninello was driven to Genoa: returning, however, soon
after, he built the fortress of Calvi, which immediately threw itself
into the hands of the Genoese, and became the second of their colonies
in the island. The chroniclers have much to say of Giudice's impartial
justice, as well as of his clemency,--as, for example, the following.
He had once taken a great many Genoese prisoners, and he promised
their freedom to all those who had wives, only these wives were to come
over themselves and fetch their husbands. They came; but a nephew of
Giudice's forced a Genoese woman to spend a night with him. His uncle
had him beheaded on the spot, and sent the captives home according
to his promise. We see how such a man should have been by preference
called Giudice--judge; since among a barbarous people, and in barbarous
times, the character of judge must unite in itself all virtue and all
other authority.
In his extreme old age Giudice grew blind. A disagreement arose
between the blind old man and his natural son Salnese, who, having
treacherously got him into his power, delivered him into the hands of
the Genoese. When Giudice was being conducted on board the ship that
was to convey him to Genoa, he threw himself upon his knees on the
shore, and solemnly imprecated a curse on his son Salnese, and all
his posterity. Giudice della Rocca was thrown into a miserable Genoese
dungeon, and died in Genoa in the tower of Malapaga, in the year 1312.
The Corsican historian Filippini, describes him as one of the most
remarkable men the island has produced; he was brave, skilful in the
use of arms, singularly rapid in the execution of his designs, wise in
council, impartial in administering justice, liberal to his friends,
and firm in adversity--qualities which almost all distinguished
Corsicans have possessed. With Giudice fell the last remains of Pisan
ascendency in Corsica.