During his brief sojourn in Assisi the war-like Cardinal had found
such peace as he had probably not often known before, and such was his
love for the church of San Francesco that he added to it several
chapels and chose a place for his tomb within its walls. He died at
Viterbo; and only five months after the Assisans had welcomed him with
such rejoicing, they went with torches and candles, to bear his dead
body back to San Francesco, the Priors, says a chronicler, spending
145 florins upon the crimson gowns they bought for this occasion.
Days of peace and liberty were short, and the Assisans were soon
groaning beneath the enormous taxes laid upon them by the zealous
ministers of the Pope. In 1376 their indignation rose to such a pitch
that they broke into open rebellion, and joined in the war-cry against
the Church, which was to be heard in other towns of Tuscany and
Umbria. The citizens besieged the Legates in their palaces and ordered
them with haughty words to depart; so seeing it was safer to obey,
they returned to Rome without a word. "Because of their love for the
holy Pontiff, whose servants they were, the Assisans used no violence
towards them," but having got their way with polite bows accompanied
them safely beyond the city gates. But at this time, when all was war
and conspiracy, there seemed no chance of a free life again for the
people. No sooner had one tyrant been disposed of than another rose to
take his place. When news of these events reached the Perugians they
thought it a good opportunity to try and again get possession of the
town, accordingly envoys were sent "just to put things in order" as
they expressed it; but the Assisans shut the gates of the city in
their faces and informed them that in future they intended to manage
their own affairs. We cannot say that their endeavours were crowned
with success, the nobles fought among themselves, while the mob was
ever ready for any kind of novelty. It is related how in the year 1398
the Assisans changed their mind three times in one day as to who
should be their lord. "_Evviva_ the Church" was the first cry; the
second, "_Evviva_ the people of Perugia"; and lastly, "_Evviva_ Messer
Imbroglia," a roving adventurer who alternately fought for the Duke of
Milan and the Pope, and finally entered Assisi at the head of a large
cavalcade as Captain and Gonfalonier of the city.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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