#ghibellines

[illustratus]

Charles I of Anjou over the body of Manfred after the Battle of Benevento on 26 February, 1266

by Carl Rahl

[medievalart]

Guelphs v Ghibellines: Battle of Montecatini (1315)

A battle fought fought between combined Florentine and Neapolitan army (Guelphs) and Pisanese forces (Ghibellines). The latter led by Uguccione della Faggiuola - condottiero and Podesta of Pisa - emerged victorious despite being outnumbered. Uguccione is depicted on the left and Guelph commander Philip I of I Taranto on the left Philip was a younger son of king of Naples and had a rather  colourful titles: among other things he was Latin Emperor of Constantinople, Despot of Romania, king of Albania, prince of Achaea and Vicar-General of Kingdom of Sicily. I guess that at least some of these titles were just nominal. And btw, Uguccio’s protege, Cstruccio Castracani also participated in this battle.

(Nuova Cronica,14th century)

Source: Giovanni Villani / Public domain

[giuliettaluce]

Dante Alighieri and the Purgatory of The Montagues and The Capulets

Did you know? In Dante Alighieri's book "La divina commedia" Book II: Purgatorio canto VI, speaks about the Montagues and the Capulets. Apparently the Montagues were Ghibellines (favoring the Empire) from Verona while Capulets were Guelphs (supporters of the Pope) from Cremona (others have been said that they were from Brescia)... Kind of explain why the Montagues and Capulets were at odds. Ghibellines and Guelphs were two factions that feuded for whom should rule Italy: either it was the Holy Roman Empire or the Papacy. PURGATORIO: CANTO VI (106-108) "Vieni a veder Montecchi e Cappelletti, Monaldi e Filippeschi, uom sanza cura: color già tristi, e questi con sospetti!" Translation from the Longfellow edition of "The Divine Comedy.": "Come and behold Montecchi and Cappelletti, Monaldi and Fillippeschi, careless man! Those sad already, and these doubt—depressed!"

[papalwords]

No need to recall [Dante] Alighieri's great reverence for the authority of the Catholic Church, the account in which he holds the power of the Roman Pontiff as the base of every law and institution of that Church...But, it will be said, he inveighs with terrible bitterness against the Supreme Pontiffs of his times. True; but it was against those who differed from him in politics and he thought were on the side of those who had driven him from his country.   One can feel for a man so beaten down by fortune, if with lacerated mind he breaks out sometimes into words of excessive blame, the more so that, to increase his feeling, false statements were being made by his political enemies ready, as always happens, to give an evil interpretation to everything. And indeed, since, through mortal infirmity, "by worldly dust even religious hearts must needs be soiled" (St. Leo M. S. IV de Quadrag), it cannot be denied that at that time there were matters on which the clergy might be reproved, and a mind as devoted to the Church as was that of Dante could not but feel disgust while we know, too, that reproof came also from men of conspicuous holiness.   But, however he might inveigh, rightly or wrongly, against ecclesiastical personages, never did he fail in respect due to the Church and reverence for the "Supreme Keys"; and on the political side he laid down as rule for his views "the reverence which a good son should show towards his father, a dutiful son to his mother, to Christ, to the Church, to the Supreme Pastor, to all who profess the Christian religion, for the safeguarding of truth" (Mon. III, 3). Thus, as he based the whole structure of his poem on these sound religious principles, no wonder that we find in it a treasure of Catholic teaching; not only, that is, essence of Christian philosophy and theology, but the compendium of the divine laws which should govern the constitution and administration of States; for Dante Alighieri was not a man to maintain, for the purpose of giving greater glory to country or pleasure to ruler, that the State may neglect justice and right which he knew well to be the main foundation of civil nations.

Pope Benedict XV, In Praeclara Summorum (Encyclical, On Dante, 1921)

[illustratus]

The Battle of Campaldino, 1289

One of the combatants in the battle was Dante Alighieri, twenty-four years old at the time.

[medievalart]

Castruccio Castracani (1281-1328)

Succesful Italian Condottiero and a staunch Ghibelline. Ruler of Lucca between 1316 and 1328 and also an imperial vicar of Pisa 1326-28.  Macchiavelli has written a short biographical account of his life.

(Fresco: Campo santo cemetery, Pisa)

source: Wikipedia

[saintfu]

A great way to remind your children to oppose the encroachment of the Holy Roman Empire this holiday season!

[hilarymcelwaine]

Day 38 - betraying your team

We all love stories of spies and double agents. James Bond and the numerous films charting the lives of spies during the world wars never fail to entertain or fascinate.

Video of the Battle of Montaperti

Dante put a character called Bocca degli Abati into the 9th circle of Hell for political treachery.

While he was fighting on the side of the Florentine Guelphs at the battle of Montaperti in 1260, he sensed that the tide was turning at the hand of King Manfred (who was regarded as the chief of the Ghibellines) and his German cavalry, and treacherously cut off the hand of the Florentine standard-bearer, throwing the Florentines into a panic and losing them this important battle.

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