Villani's Chronicle: Being Selections from the First Nine Books of the Croniche Fiorentine of Giovanni VillaniVillani, Giovanni
History
Villani's Chronicle: Being Selections from the First Nine Books of the Croniche Fiorentine of Giovanni Villani
Villani, Giovanni
Florence (Italy) -- History
In the year of Christ 1288, in the month of July, great divisions and
factions having arisen in Pisa concerning the government, for of one
party Judge Nino di Gallura de' Visconti was head with certain Guelfs,
and of another Count Ugolino dei Gherardeschi with another party of
the Guelfs, and of a third the Archbishop Ruggeri degli Ubaldini with
the Lanfranchi, and Gualandi, and Sismondi, with the other Ghibelline
houses. And the said Ugolino, in order to gain power, sided with the
archbishop and his party, and betrayed Judge Nino, not considering
that he was his grandson, his daughter's son; and they ordained that
he should be driven out of Pisa with his followers, or taken prisoner.
Judge Nino hearing this, and seeing that he was not well able to
defend himself, left the city and went to his castle of Calci, and
allied himself with the Florentines and Lucchese to make war against
Pisa. Count Ugolino, before the departure of Judge Nino, to the end he
might hide his treachery when he had planned the banishment of the
judge, departed from Pisa, and went to one of his manors in the
country, which was called Settimo. When he heard of the departure of
Judge Nino, he returned to Pisa with great rejoicing; and the Pisans
made him their lord with great rejoicings and festivities; but he
abode only a short time in the government, for Fortune turned against
him, as it pleased God, because of his treacheries and crimes; for of
a truth it was said that he caused Count Anselm of Capraia, his
nephew, his sister's son, to be poisoned, from envy, and because he
was beloved in Pisa, and he feared lest he might rob him of his state.
And that happened to Count Ugolino, which a little while before had
been foretold him by a wise and valiant man of affairs, named Marco
Lombardo; for when the count was called by all lord of Pisa, and when
he was in greatest state and happiness, he prepared a rich feast on
his birthday, and invited thereto his sons and grandsons, and all his
lineage and kinsfolk, both men and women, with great pomp in dress and
ornaments, and preparations for a great festival. The count taking the
said Marco, showed him all his grandeur and possessions, and the
preparations for his feast; and this done, he asked him: "Marco, what
thinkest thou of all this?" The sage answered and said unto him at
once: "You are better prepared for evil fortune than any nobleman of
Italy." And the count fearing these words of Marco's, said: "Why?" and
Marco answered: "Because the wrath of God is the only thing lacking to
you." And of a truth the wrath of God soon came upon him, as it
pleased God, because of his treacheries and crimes; for when the
archbishop of Pisa and his followers had succeeded in driving out Nino
and his party, by the counsel and treachery of Count Ugolino, the
forces of the Guelfs were diminished; and then the archbishop took
counsel how to betray Count Ugolino, and in a sudden uproar of the
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