The Siege of Florence in 1312
One episode in the continuous warfare between the Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy and the Italian city-states was the siege of Florence by the forces of Emperor Henry VII in 1312. This account of the siege was recorded by the Florentine historian Giovanni Villani (d.1348)
How the Emperor departed from Rome to go into Tuscany
Then the Emperor departed from Tivoli, and came with his people to Todi, and
was received honourably by the inhabitants, and as their lord, forasmuch as they
took his part. The Florentines and the other Tuscans, hearing that the Emperor
had departed from Rome and was taking his way towards Tuscany, straightway sent
for their troops which were at Rome, to the end they might be stronger against
his coming. And when the said troops had returned, the Florentines and the other
cities of Tuscany garrisoned their fortresses with horsemen and with soldiers,
to resist the coming of the Emperor, fearing greatly his forces, and confining
more straightly the Ghibellines and others which were suspected; and the
Florentines increased the number of their horsemen to 1300, and of soldiers they
had with the marshal and with others 700, so that they had about 2000 horsemen;
and every other town and city of Tuscany in the league of King Robert and of the
Guelf party, had strengthened itself with soldiers for fear of the Emperor.
How the Emperor came to the city of Arezzo, and afterwards how he came
towards the city of Florence.
In the said month of August, in 1312, the Emperor departed from Todi and
passed through the region of Perugia, destroying and burning, and his people
took by force Castiglione of Chiusi on the lake, and from there he came to
Cortona, and then to Arezzo, and was received by the Aretines with great honour.
And in Arezzo he assembled his army to come against the city of Florence, and
suddenly he departed from Arezzo and entered into the territory of Florence on
the 12th day of September, and there was straightway surrendered to him the
fortress of Caposelvole upon the Ambra which pertained to the Florentines. And
then he pitched his camp before the fortress of Montevarchi, which was well
furnished with soldiers, both horse and foot, and with victuals; against it he
ordered many assaults, and caused the moats to be emptied of water, and filled
up with earth. They within the city, seeing that they were so hotly assailed,
and that the city had low walls, and that the horsemen of the Emperor fighting
on foot, and mounting the walls on ladders, did not fear the arrows nor the
stones which were thrown down, were greatly dismayed, and being sure that the
Florentines would not succour them, surrendered themselves on the third day to
the Emperor. And when he had taken Montevarchi, without delay he came with his
host to the fortress of Sangiovanni, which in like manner surrendered itself to
him, and he took there seventy Catalan horsemen, in the service of the
Florentines: and thus without hindrance he came to the village of Fegghine.
How the Florentines were well-nigh discomfited at the fortress of Ancisa
by the army of the Emperor.
When the Florentines heard that the Emperor had departed from Arezzo,
immediately the people and horse–men of Florence, without awaiting other aid,
rode to the fortress of Ancisa upon the Arno, and they were about 1800 horse and
many foot, and at Ancisa they encamped to hold the pass against the Emperor. And
when he heard this, he came with his army to the plain of Ancisa upon the island
of Arno which is called Il Mezzule, and challenged the Florentines to battle.
The Florentines, knowing themselves to be in number of their horsemen not much
superior to those of the Em–peror, and being without a captain, did not desire
to try the fortune of battle, believing that they could hinder the Emperor by
reason of the difficult pass, so that he could not get through to Florence. The
Emperor seeing that the Florentines were not willing to fight, by counsel of the
wise men of war, refugees from Florence, took the way of the hill above Ancisa,
and by narrow and difficult passes came by the fortress and to the territory of
Florence. The host of the Florentines perceiving his movements, and fearing lest
he should come to the city of Florence, some part of them with the king's
marshal and his troops departed from Ancisa, to be before him in the way. The
count of Savoy, and M. Henry of Flanders, which were come before to take the
pass, vigorously attacked them which were at the frontier under Montelfi, and
with the advantage which they had of the hill, they put them to flight and
discomfiture, and some pursued them as far as the village of Ancisa. The rout of
the Florentines was more through the dismay caused by the sudden assault, than
by loss of men; for among them all there were not twenty-five horsemen slain,
and less than one hundred footmen; and well-nigh all the foreigners which came
in pursuit of them as far as the village were slain. Nevertheless, the followers
of the Emperor remained victorious in the combat, and the Florentines were
filled with fear; and the Emperor spent that night two miles this side of Ancisa
on the way to Florence. The Florentines remained in the fortress of Ancisa, as
it were besieged and with but, little provision of victuals, so that, if the
Emperor had been constant to the siege, the Florentines which were at Ancisa
would have been well-nigh all slain or taken. But as it pleased God, the Emperor
resolved that night to go direct to the city of Florence, believing that he
should take it without opposition; and he left the host of the Florentines be–hind
at Ancisa, seeing that they were in a state of siege, and in much fear, and in
great disorder.
How the Emperor Henry encamped with his host before the city of Florence.
And thus the day following, the 19th day of September, 1312, the Emperor came
With his host to the city of Florence, his followers setting fire to everything
they came across; and thus he crossed the river Arno, over against where the
Mensola enters it, and abode at the monastery of Santo Salvi, with perhaps 1000
horsemen. The rest of his followers remained in Valdarno, and part at Todi,
which came to him afterwards; and as they came through the region of Perugia,
they were assailed by the Perugians, and defended themselves against them, and
passed on with loss and shame, to the Perugians. And the Emperor came thither so
suddenly that the most part of the Florentines could not believe that he was
there in person; and they were so dismayed and fearful about their horsemen
which were left at Ancisa well-nigh discomfited, that if the Emperor and his
followers, upon their sudden coming had advanced to the gates, they would have
found them open and ill-guarded; and it is thought by most that the city would
have been taken. The Florentines, however, beholding the burning of the houses
along the way, called the people to arms by sound of bell, and with the
standards of their companies they came to the piazza of the Priors, and the
bishop of Florence armed himself, with the horses belonging to the clergy, and
hastened to defend the Porta Santo Ambrogio and the moats; and all the people on
foot were with him; and they barred the gates, and ordered the standard-bearers
and their people, at their posts along the moats, to guard the city by day and
by night. And within the city on that side they pitched a camp with pavilions,
tents, and booths, to the intent the guard might be stronger, and made palisades
along the moats of all kinds of wood, with portcullises, in a very short time.
And thus abode the Florentines in great fear for two days, for their horsemen
and their army were returning from Ancisa. by divers ways by the vale of
Robbiano, and from Santa Maria in Pianeta a Montebuoni [Impruneta] in the night
season. When they came to Florence, the city was reassured; and the Lucchese
sent thither in aid and defence of the 600 horse and 3,000 foot, and the Sienese
600 horse and 2000 foot, and they of Pistoia 100 horse and 500 foot, and they of
Prato 50 horse and 400 foot, and they of Volterra 100 horse and 300 foot, and
Colle and Sangimignagno and Samminiato each 50 horse and 200 foot, the Bolognese
400 horse and 1000 foot; from Romagna there came, what with Rimini and Ravenna
and Faenza and Cesena and the other Guelf cities, 300 horse and 1500 foot, and
from Agobbio 100 horse, and from the city of Castello 50 horse. From Perugia
there came no aid, by reason of the war which they had with Todi and Spoleto.
And thus within eight days of the siege being declared by the Emperor, the
Florentines with their allies were more than 4000 horse, and foot without
number. The Emperor had 1800 horsemen, whereof 800 were foreigners and 1000
Italians, from Rome, from the March, from the Duchy, from Arezzo, and from
Romagna, and from the Counts Guidi, and them of Santafiore, and the Florentine
refugees; and much people on foot, forasmuch as the country people of the region
which he was occupying, all followed his camp. And that year was the most
fertile and fruitful in all food which had been for thirty years past. The
Emperor abode at the siege until the last day of the month of October, laying
the whole country waste towards the eastern side, and did great hurt to the
Florentines without any attack upon the city, being in hopes of gaining it by
agreement; and even if he had attacked it, it was so well furnished with
horsemen, that there would have been two or more defending the city for every
one without, and of foot four to one; and the Florentines were in such good
heart that the most part went about unarmed, and they kept all the other gates
open, save the one on that side; and the merchandise came in and went out as if
there had been no war. As to the Florentines sallying forth to battle, either by
reason of cowardice or of prudence in war, or because they had no leader, they
would in no wise trust to the fortune of the combat, albeit they had greatly the
advantage, had they but had a good captain, and been more united among
themselves. Certainly they rode out to Cerretello, whither the Pisans had
marched with their army, and they forced them to withdraw from it again, as
though defeated, in the month of October. The Emperor lay sick many days at San
Salvi, and perceiving that he could not gain the city by agreement, and that the
Florentines would not give battle, he departed, not yet recovered. [And whilst
he was still at San Salvi, the count of Savoy was discoursing with the abbot and
certain monks of that place, concerning the Emperor, how he had heard from his
astrologers or by some other revelation, that he was to conquer as far as to the
world's end; then said the abbot smiling: "The prophecy is fulfilled, for
hard by where you are dwelling, there is a road which has no exit, which is
called the World's End"; wherefore the count and the other barons which
heard this were confounded in their vain hope : and for this reason, wise men
ought not to put faith in any prophecy or sayings of astrologers, for they are
lies and have a double meaning.]
How the Emperor abandoned the siege, and departed front San Salvi, and
came to Saga Casciano, and then to Poggibonizzi.
From: Villani's Chronicle : being selections from the first nine books of the Croniche Fiorentine of Giovanni Villani, translated by Rose E. Selfe (London, 1906)