History of the Italian Republics in the Middle Ages by Jean Charles Leonard de Sismondi

Author:Jean Charles Leonard de Sismondi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pronoun

THE OVERTHROW OF THE DOGE AGNELLO AND THE RECOVERY OF HER INDEPENDENCE BY PISA (1368—1370)

Agnello retained the dogeship of Pisa for four years. In 1368 Charles IV. crossed the Alps for the second time. In league with the Pope, the King of Hungary, and the lords of Padua, Ferrara, and Mantua, he came to liberate Lombardy from the rule of the Visconti, and Italy from the Free Companies. But the Visconti were strong, the mercenaries were skilled, and Charles was weak. His troops could do but little, the enterprise was expensive, and the Visconti bought him off. The astute Italians had taken his measure, and they seized advantage of his presence to change their governments, and secure the Imperial imprimatur to their new constitutions. The Lucchese, with whom Charles had dwelt when a Prince, seized the opportunity. They entreated him to visit them, and their Guelph exiles, grown wealthy in France and elsewhere, offered to buy the freedom of their native city at the monarch’s own terms. Agnello, by no means secure at Pisa, looked forward to the advent of Charles and his 1,200 horsemen with alarm. He sent to compound with him; he offered to surrender Lucca if he were confirmed in his rule of Pisa as Imperial Vicar. The monarch was complaisant. He received Agnello outside the walls of Lucca and knighted him, a distinction which in turn Agnello immediately conferred on his nephews and firm supporters. But at the very moment when Charles publicly declared Agnello to be Imperial Vicar at Pisa, the hastily built hustings collapsed, and Agnello’s leg was broken. ·Οn the receipt of the news, the Pisans, who in spite of family quarrels were agreed on the question of their land empire, and who felt humiliated and chagrined to the last degree at the surrender of Lucca, rose in revolt to a man. A government of twelve elders (anziani) was appointed to rule Pisa under its ancient laws, and the exiles were recalled, except Pietro Gambacorti. Agnello, lying on a bed of sickness, submitted to the inevitable, and surrendered all claim to the city.

But Pisa did not delay to abuse her newly-won freedom. The old spirit of feud and faction was only put down by the association of certain cooler-headed burghers and nobles, who were soon 4,000 strong, and who formed a Society of St. Michael. To the Bergolini and Raspanti they cried, “A plague on both your Houses !” and they succeeded in restoring order in Pisa for a time. There was still an undercurrent of bitter feeling against the Raspanti. A series of disasters were traced to their administration. Commerce had decayed; a disastrous war with Florence, increase of taxes, the tyranny of Agnello, the loss of Lucca—all the evils that afflicted the city were attributed to them. If the Republic pardoned so many crimes, why should Pietro Gambacorti still be under the ban ? His parents had perished by an unjust sentence; he was the favourite of Charles (Bernardo Marangoni Cron. di Pisa.

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