The emigrants attempt to re-enter Florence, but are not allowed to do
so--The companies of the people restored--Restless conduct of
Corso Donati--The ruin of Corso Donati--Corso Donati accused
and condemned--Riot at the house of Corso--Death of Corso--His
character--Fruitless attempt of the Emperor Henry against the
Florentines--The emigrants are restored to the city--The citizens place
themselves under the king of Naples for five years--War with Uguccione
della Faggiuola--The Florentines routed--Florence withdraws herself
from subjection to King Robert, and expels the Count Novello--Lando
d'Agobbio--His tyranny--His departure.
The legate being returned to Rome, and hearing of the new disturbance
which had occurred, persuaded the pope that if he wished to unite the
Florentines, it would be necessary to have twelve of the first citizens
appear before him, and having thus removed the principal causes of
disunion, he might easily put a stop to it. The pontiff took this
advice, and the citizens, among whom was Corso Donati, obeyed the
summons. These having left the city, the legate told the exiles that
now, when the city was deprived of her leaders, was the time for them
to return. They, therefore, having assembled, came to Florence, and
entering by a part of the wall not yet completed, proceeded to the
piazza of St. Giovanni. It is worthy of remark, that those who, a short
time previously, when they came unarmed and begged to be restored to
their country, had fought for their return, now, when they saw them in
arms and resolved to enter by force, took arms to oppose them (so much
more was the common good esteemed than private friendship), and being
joined by the rest of the citizens, compelled them to return to the
places whence they had come. They failed in their undertaking by having
left part of their force at Lastra, and by not having waited the arrival
of Tolosetto Uberti, who had to come from Pistoia with three hundred
horse; for they thought celerity rather than numbers would give them the
victory; and it often happens, in similar enterprises, that delay robs
us of the occasion, and too great anxiety to be forward prevents us of
the power, or makes us act before we are properly prepared.
The banished having retired, Florence again returned to her old
divisions; and in order to deprive the Cavalcanti of their authority,
the people took from them the Stinche, a castle situated in the Val
di Greve, and anciently belonging to the family. And as those who were
taken in it were the first who were put into the new prisons, the latter
were, and still continue, named after it,--the Stinche. The leaders of
the republic also re-established the companies of the people, and gave
them the ensigns that were first used by the companies of the Arts; the
heads of which were called Gonfaloniers of the companies and colleagues
of the Signory; and ordered, that when any disturbance arose they should
assist the Signory with arms, and in peace with counsel. To the two
ancient rectors they added an executor, or sheriff, who, with the
Gonfaloniers, was to aid in repressing the insolence of the nobility.
In the meantime the pope died. Corso, with the other citizens, returned
from Rome; and all would have been well if his restless mind had not
occasioned new troubles. It was his common practice to be of a contrary
opinion to the most powerful men in the city; and whatever he saw the
people inclined to do, he exercised his utmost influence to effect,
in order to attach them to himself; so that he was a leader in all
differences, at the head of every new scheme, and whoever wished to
obtain anything extraordinary had recourse to him. This conduct caused
him to be hated by many of the highest distinction; and their hatred
increased to such a degree that the Neri faction to which he belonged,
became completely divided; for Corso, to attain his ends, had availed
himself of private force and authority, and of the enemies of the state.
But so great was the influence attached to his person, that everyone
feared him. Nevertheless, in order to strip him of the popular favor
(which by this means may easily be done), a report was set on foot that
he intended to make himself prince of the city; and to the design his
conduct gave great appearance of probability, for his way of living
quite exceeded all civil bounds; and the opinion gained further
strength, upon his taking to wife a daughter of Uguccione della
Faggiuola, head of the Ghibelline and Bianchi faction, and one of the
most powerful men in Tuscany.
When this marriage became known it gave courage to his adversaries, and
they took arms against him; for the same reason the people ceased
to defend him, and the greater part of them joined the ranks of his
enemies, the leaders of whom were Rosso della Tosa, Pazino dei Pazzi,
Geri Spini, and Berto Brunelleschi. These, with their followers, and the
greater part of the people, assembled before the palace of the Signory,
by whose command a charge was made before Piero Branca, captain of the
people, against Corso, of intending, with the aid of Uguccione, to usurp
the government. He was then summoned, and for disobedience, declared
a rebel; nor did two hours pass over between the accusation and the
sentence. The judgment being given, the Signory, with the companies of
the people under their ensigns, went in search of him, who, although
seeing himself abandoned by many of his followers, aware of the sentence
against him, the power of the Signory, and the multitude of his enemies,
remained undaunted, and fortified his houses, in the hope of defending
them till Uguccione, for whom he had sent, should come to his Relief.
His residences, and the streets approaching them, were barricaded and
taken possession of by his partisans, who defended them so bravely that
the enemy, although in great numbers, could not force them, and the
battle became one of the hottest, with wounds and death on all sides.
But the people, finding they could not drive them from their ground,
took possession of the adjoining houses, and by unobserved passages
obtained entry. Corso, thus finding himself surrounded by his foes, no
longer retaining any hope of assistance from Uguccione, and without a
chance of victory, thought only of effecting his personal safety, and
with Gherardo Bordoni, and some of his bravest and most trusted friends,
fought a passage through the thickest of their enemies, and effected
their escape from the city by the Gate of the Cross. They were, however,
pursued by vast numbers, and Gherardo was slain upon the bridge of
Affrico by Boccaccio Cavicciulli. Corso was overtaken and made
prisoner by a party of Catalan horse, in the service of the Signory, at
Rovezzano. But when approaching Florence, that he might avoid being seen
and torn to pieces by his victorious enemies, he allowed himself to fall
from horseback, and being down, one of those who conducted him cut his
throat. The body was found by the monks of San Salvi, and buried without
any ceremony due to his rank. Such was the end of Corso, to whom his
country and the Neri faction were indebted for much both of good and
evil; and if he had possessed a cooler spirit he would have left behind
him a more happy memory. Nevertheless, he deserves to be enumerated
among the most distinguished men our city has produced. True it is, that
his restless conduct made both his country and his party forgetful of
their obligation to him. The same cause also produced his miserable
end, and brought many troubles upon both his friends and his country.
Uguccione, coming to the assistance of his relative, learned at Remoli
that Corso had been overcome by the people, and finding that he could
not render him any assistance, in order to avoid bringing evil upon
himself without occasion, he returned home.
After the death of Corso, which occurred in the year 1308, the
disturbances were appeased, and the people lived quietly till it was
reported that the Emperor Henry was coming into Italy, and with him all
the Florentine emigrants, to whom he had promised restoration to their
country. The leaders of the government thought, that in order to lessen
the number of their enemies, it would be well to recall, of their own
will, all who had been expelled, excepting such as the law had expressly
forbidden to return. Of the number not admitted, were the greater part
of the Ghibellines, and some of those of the Bianchi faction, among whom
were Dante Alighieri, the sons of Veri de' Cerchi and of Giano della
Bella. Besides this they sent for aid to Robert, king of Naples, and not
being able to obtain it of him as friends, they gave their city to him
for five years, that he might defend them as his own people. The emperor
entered Italy by the way of Pisa, and proceeded by the marshes to Rome,
where he was crowned in the year 1312. Then, having determined to subdue
the Florentines, he approached their city by the way of Perugia and
Arezzo, and halted with his army at the monastery of San Salvi, about
a mile from Florence, where he remained fifty days without effecting
anything. Despairing of success against Florence, he returned to Pisa,
where he entered into an agreement with Frederick, king of Sicily,
to undertake the conquest of Naples, and proceeded with his people
accordingly; but while filled with the hope of victory, and carrying
dismay into the heart of King Robert, having reached Buonconvento, he
died.
Shortly after this, Uguccione della Faggiuola, having by means of the
Ghibelline party become lord of Pisa and of Lucca, caused, with the
assistance of these cities, very serious annoyance to the neighbouring
places. In order to effect their relief the Florentines requested
King Robert would allow his brother Piero to take the command of their
armies. On the other hand, Uguccione continued to increase his power;
and either by force or fraud obtained possession of many castles in the
Val d'Arno and the Val di Nievole; and having besieged Monte Cataini,
the Florentines found it would be necessary to send to its relief, that
they might not see him burn and destroy their whole territory. Having
drawn together a large army, they entered the Val di Nievole where they
came up with Uguccione, and were routed after a severe battle in which
Piero the king's brother and 2,000 men were slain; but the body of
the Prince was never found. Neither was the victory a joyful one to
Uguccione; for one of his sons, and many of the leaders of his army,
fell in the strife.
The Florentines after this defeat fortified their territory, and King
Robert sent them, for commander of their forces, the Count d'Andria,
usually called Count Novello, by whose deportment, or because it is
natural to the Florentines to find every state tedious, the city,
notwithstanding the war with Uguccione, became divided into friends and
enemies of the king. Simon della Tosa, the Magalotti, and certain others
of the people who had attained greater influence in the government than
the rest, were leaders of the party against the king. By these means
messengers were sent to France, and afterward into Germany, to solicit
leaders and forces that they might drive out the count, whom the king
had appointed governor; but they failed of obtaining any. Nevertheless
they did not abandon their undertaking, but still desirous of one whom
they might worship, after an unavailing search in France and Germany,
they discovered him at Agobbio, and having expelled the Count Novello,
caused Lando d'Agobbio to be brought into the city as Bargello (sheriff),
and gave him the most unlimited power of the citizens. This man was
cruel and rapacious; and going through the country accompanied with an
armed force, he put many to death at the mere instigation of those who
had endowed him with authority. His insolence rose to such a height,
that he stamped base metal with the impression used upon the money of
the state, and no one had sufficient courage to oppose him, so powerful
had he become by the discords of Florence. Great, certainly, but unhappy
city! which neither the memory of past divisions, the fear of her
enemies, nor a king's authority, could unite for her own advantage; so
that she found herself in a state of the utmost wretchedness, harassed
without by Uguccione, and plundered within by Lando d'Agobbio.
The friends of the king and those who opposed Lando and his followers,
were either of noble families or the highest of the people, and all
Guelphs; but their adversaries being in power they could not discover
their minds without incurring the greatest danger. Being, however,
determined to deliver themselves from such disgraceful tyranny, they
secretly wrote to King Robert, requesting him to appoint for his vicar
in Florence Count Guido da Battifolle. The king complied; and the
opposite party, although the Signory were opposed to the king, on
account of the good quality of the count, did not dare to resist him.
Still his authority was not great, because the Signory and Gonfaloniers
of the companies were in favor of Lando and his party.
During these troubles, the daughter of King Albert of Bohemia passed
through Florence, in search of her husband, Charles, the son of King
Robert, and was received with the greatest respect by the friends of the
king, who complained to her of the unhappy state of the city, and of the
tyranny of Lando and his partisans; so that through her influence and
the exertions of the king's friends, the citizens were again united, and
before her departure, Lando was stripped of all authority and send back
to Agobbio, laden with blood and plunder. In reforming the government,
the sovereignty of the city was continued to the king for another three
years, and as there were then in office seven Signors of the party
of Lando, six more were appointed of the king's friends, and some
magistracies were composed of thirteen Signors; but not long afterward
the number was reduced to seven according to ancient custom.