_Piazza S. Piero Maggiore._
But little remains of the many palaces and towers of this once powerful
family. Several stood in the Corso, nearly opposite to those of the
Portinari, where two of their grey towers still frown defiance at
passers-by and a small square bears their name. Here lived Manetto
Donati, whose daughter Gemma became the wife of Dante. Forese Donati
was one of the poet’s dearest friends, whilst his brother Corso, of
whom more anon, became his deadliest enemy. Their sister, the beautiful
Piccarda, who took the habit of S. Clare as a young girl, but was torn
from her quiet convent and forced by Corso Donati to break her vows and
marry, is one of the most touching figures in the _Paradiso_. Other
Donati palaces, amongst them that of the famous Corso, stood round the
church of S. Piero Maggiore founded by the family in the IXth century.
Several of them joined the Crusades and died in the Holy Land, and
many were made Knights of the Golden Spur by the Emperors Henry II.
and Conrad of Swabia. Rivalry had always existed between the Donati
and the Cerchi; it became acute when the Neri, or Black Party, came
from Pistoja to seek aid from Corso Donati, and the Bianchi, or White
Party, turned for help to Vieri de’ Cerchi. “The Priors and other good
citizens,” writes Machiavelli, “feared every hour that they would
come to blows, and the city be divided into two camps. They therefore
appealed to the Pope, praying him to use his authority and put an
end to these quarrels with which they were unable to cope. The Holy
Father sent for Messer Vieri, and commanded him to make peace with
the Donati. At this he expressed astonishment, saying he bore them no
malice, and as making peace implied the existence of war, he could not
see why, there being no war, it should be necessary to make peace.
So Messer Vieri returned from Rome without concluding anything, and
the ill-feeling grew apace.... Men being in this excited state, it
happened that the Cerchi and the Donati met at a funeral service, and
from words came to blows; but for the moment the tumult was appeased.
Then the Cerchi decided to attack the Donati, but were repulsed by the
bravery of Messer Corso, and many of their followers were wounded.
The whole city was in a tumult, the Signori and the laws were trodden
under foot by the fury of the more powerful. The Donati and their party
were afraid because they were the weaker, so Messer Corso summoned
the heads of the Blacks and the Captains of the Party, and it was
decided to ask the Pope to send one of royal blood to reform the city,
thinking thereby to break the power of the Whites. The meeting and its
deliberation was notified to the Priors, and magnified by the adverse
party into a plot against liberty. As both sides had armed the Signori,
of whom Dante was one [1301], animated by his advice and tranquil
courage, called the people to arms, and then forced the leaders of the
opposite factions to disarm, and banished Messer Corso Donati with many
of the Black Party.”
[Illustration: TOWER OF THE DONATI.]
Messer Corso went to Rome and persuaded the Pope to send Charles of
Valois, brother of the King of France, who was on his way to Sicily,
to pacify Florence. After swearing solemnly to preserve peace Charles
armed his followers, and the alarm in the city was not lessened by the
arrival of Corso with all the exiles. The prisons were burst open, the
Priors relegated to private life, and for five days the houses of the
White Party were given up to plunder and arson. A new Signoria was
elected, entirely formed of the Blacks, and Charles named Cante di
Gabbrielli, one of his adherents, Podestà. Proscriptions commenced, and
one of the first names on the list was that of Dante.
Machiavelli describes Corso Donati as “a promoter of every disagreement
and every tumult; all who desired to attain anything extraordinary
turned to him, so that he was hated by many citizens of repute.... But
the authority wielded by him was such that he was feared by all. To
deprive him of the popular favour it was spread about that he sought
to seize the State, to which his magnificent way of living, far beyond
the ordinary, lent colour. After he had taken to wife the daughter of
Uguccione della Faggiuola, head of the Ghibelline and the White Party,
and most powerful in Tuscany, this report gained more credit. The
marriage encouraged his enemies and induced the people to abandon him,
and many joined his adversaries. Their leaders were Rosso della Tosa,
Pazzino de’ Pazzi, Geri Spini and Berto Brunelleschi who, with their
followers, and a great concourse of people, went armed to the palace of
the Signori. The Signori ordered Piero Branca, Captain of the People,
to accuse Messer Corso of desiring to make himself tyrant of Florence
by the aid of Uguccione. He was cited to appear, and then condemned
as a rebel _in contumaciam_, and only two hours elapsed between the
accusation and the condemnation. After the delivery of the sentence the
Signori and the Compagnie of the People, with their banners, went to
take him. Messer Corso, whose courage failed not when he saw himself
abandoned by many and heard of his condemnation, was not abashed by
the authority of the Signori or the number of his assailants, but
fortified his houses, hoping to be able to defend himself until the
arrival of Uguccione, to whom he had sent for help. His houses and the
streets near by had been closed by him and fortified by his adherents,
and their defence was so valiant that the people, although numerous,
could not advance. The struggle was great, with dead and wounded on
both sides. Seeing that nothing was to be done in the open the people
took possession of the houses adjoining his and, breaking through the
walls, burst into his house. Finding himself surrounded by enemies and
despairing of victory, or of aid from Uguccione, Messer Corso decided
to try and save his life. Placing himself and Gherardo Bordoni at the
head of some of his strongest and most trusted friends, he charged the
enemy with such impetuosity that they fell back, and fighting he was
able to pass through their ranks and leave the city by the Porta Sta.
Croce. Many, however, pursued him, Gherardo was killed on the banks of
the Affrico by Boccaccio Cavicciulli, whilst some Catalan horsemen,
soldiers of the Signoria, came up with Messer Corso at Rovezzano and
took him prisoner. On the way back to Florence, to avoid meeting his
victorious enemies face to face and being tortured by them, he threw
himself off his horse, and thus, lying on the ground, was killed by
one of his captors. The monks of S. Salvi found his body and buried it
without any honours. Such was the end of Messer Corso, to whom both
his country and the Black Party owed much good and much ill. Had his
disposition been of a gentler kind, his memory would be more honoured.”
Dino Compagni says that Corso Donati was ill and suffering from gout
at the time of his flight. “Much talk there was of the evil manner
of his death, according as to whether they were friends or enemies,”
continues the old chronicler, “but to speak truthfully his life was
perilous [for the quiet of Florence] and his death was blameworthy.
He was a knight of great courage and of old name, of gentle blood and
well-mannered, very handsome, even in his old age, finely built, with
delicate features and a pale complexion; a pleasant, wise and ornate
speaker, and always occupied with important affairs, a consort and a
friend of great lords and noble persons, counting many adherents and
renowned throughout Italy. He was an enemy to the people and to popular
government, well-loved by his partisans, but full of evil designs,
wicked and astute.”