The Two First Centuries of Florentine History: The Republic and Parties at the Time of Dante. Fourth Impression.
Dante Alighieri · en
On the other hand, the pseudo Brunetto Latini dates the first fire
extending from the bridge to the Old Market, on August 4, 1177. But
he quickly adds that in the same year began the "discord and war,
for the space of twenty-seven months, between the Consuls and the
Uberti, who refused to obey either the Consuls or the Signory, yet
nevertheless formed no government of their own. This strife among the
citizens caused great mortality, robbery, and arson. The city was set
on fire at five different points; the Sesto d'Oltràrno, and the part
between the Churches of San Martino, del Vescovo, and Sta. Maria, were
burnt down."[172] According to the same chronicler, the fall of the
bridge took place on November 4, 1178, and the civil war only came to
an end in 1180, with the triumph of the Uberti, one of whom, Uberto
degli Uberti, actually became Consul. "The which afterwards led to
the creation of Podestà, who were nobles, powerful, and of foreign
birth."[173]
In spite of a few seeming contradictions on the part of both
chroniclers, their evidence, joined to that of others, clearly proves
that in 1177 a revolution led by the Uberti took place and lasted about
two years, accompanied by rapine, murder, and arson. The Uberti did
not gain a complete victory, since the consular government survived;
but they and their friends were in power more frequently than before,
and for this reason the pseudo Brunetto Latini considers them to have
conquered. All this gave the government a more patrician tendency. It
heralded the change that replaced the Consuls by a Podestà, and cast
the first seed of the factions and civil wars destined to involve the
city in long-continued strife and bloodshed. Such, in fact, is the
gist of the chronicles, and all later documents and events serve to
confirm it. Nevertheless, peace was re-established within the walls for
the nonce, and the policy of Florence remained unaltered. The partial
triumph of the aristocracy had at least one good effect; inasmuch as
the nobles, being satisfied for the moment, lent efficacious assistance
to the Commune, and enabled all its affairs to be pushed forward more
briskly.