The Two First Centuries of Florentine History: The Republic and Parties at the Time of Dante. Fourth Impression.Villari, Pasquale
Philosophy
The Two First Centuries of Florentine History: The Republic and Parties at the Time of Dante. Fourth Impression.
Villari, Pasquale
Florence (Italy) -- History -- To 1421
For this reason the Captain was no longer to
be entitled Captain of the Guelph party, but Captain of the city and
conservator of peace. Also, the office of vicar-imperial granted to
Charles having now lapsed, it was decreed that henceforward the Podestà
and Captain were to be nominated for two years by the Pope, and have
each the command of fifty horse and fifty foot soldiers. After two
years the right of election would be resumed by the people, provided
their nominees were not opposed to, but actually approved by, the Head
of the Church. Each Captain would then have the command of one hundred
horse and one hundred foot, but, for the better preservation of peace,
the said troops must neither be citizens nor natives of the territory.
The guilds were likewise sworn to assist in maintaining peace. It was
farther decreed that the statutes should be revised, the government of
the city reformed, and an estimate made of the property of all persons
who had been condemned to pay fines or damages.[312]
This would seem to show that the cardinal was almost in the position of
a provisional dictator, with arbitrary power of decision. But he first
consulted the magistrates as to many clauses proposed by him, while
regarding other conditions of the agreement the Florentines obeyed them
or not as they chose. The people desired peace for the reasons we have
already described and the cardinal was therefore given full powers
to conclude it on his own authority and that of the Church. But his
success was far more apparent than real. In fact, the constitution of
the Guelph party remained in force, and as soon as he had gone, the
city was again torn by faction strife. He left Florence on April 24,
1280, after receiving a recompense of "mille floreni auri in pecunia
numerata, et alie zoie empte pro Comuni Florentie."
Nevertheless, during February and the beginning of March, he was so
satisfied with his imagined success as to attempt the reconciliation of
many adversaries confined to fixed domiciles. He likewise tried to give
effect to the constitutional reforms prescribed by the peace; above
all, that of replacing the twelve worthies by fourteen "good men,"
composed of eight Guelphs and six Ghibellines. These functionaries, in
co-operation with the Captains and the councils, formed the government
of the city, and were changed every second month. Nevertheless,
the Podestà and Captain remained in office for one year more. The
authority of the Podestà, as the nominee of King Charles, had been much
diminished under the latter's rule; accordingly increased powers were
now conferred on the Captain and Twelve, and the latter being augmented
to fourteen,[313] constituted the supreme power or Signory of Florence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account