History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy From the Earliest Times to the Death of Lorenzo the Magnificent

The Duke of Athens requires to be made prince of Florence--The Signory address the duke upon the subject--The plebeians proclaim him prince of Florence for life--Tyrannical proc...

Reflections upon the domestic discords of republics--A parallel between the discords of Rome and those of Florence--Enmities between the families of the Ricci and the Albizzi--U...

Connection of the other Italian governments with the history of Florence--Republics always disunited--Some differences are injurious; others not so--The kind of dissensions prev...

The duke of Calabria routs the Florentine army at Poggibonzi--Dismay in Florence on account of the defeat--Progress of the duke of Calabria--The Florentines wish for peace--Lore...

The Florentines go to war with Lucca--Discourse of a citizen of Lucca to animate the plebeians against the Florentines--The Lucchese resolve to defend themselves--They are assis...

The Emperor Henry comes into Italy--The Florentines take the part of the pope--The Visconti originate the duchy of Milan--Artifice of Maffeo Visconti against the family of de la...

The duke of Milan becomes lord of Genoa--The king of Naples and the duke of Milan endeavor to secure their dominions to their heirs--Jacopo Piccinino honorably received at Milan...

Giuliano de' Medici slain--Lorenzo escapes--The archbishop Salviati endeavors to seize the palace of the Signory--He is taken and hanged--The enterprise of the conspirators enti...

Death of Giovanni II.--René of Anjou and Alfonso of Aragon aspire to the kingdom--Alfonso is routed and taken by the Genoese--Alfonso being a prisoner of the duke of Milan, obta...

The Cerchi and the Donati--Origin of the Bianca and Nera factions in Pistoia--They come to Florence--Open enmity of the Donati and the Cerchi--Their first conflict--The Cerchi h...

The pope imprisons the cardinal and assists the Florentines--Difference of opinion between the count and the Venetians respecting the management of the war. The Florentines reco...

Nicholas II. commits the election of the pope to the cardinals--First example of a prince deprived of his dominions by the pope--Guelphs and Ghibellines--Establishment of the ki...

Maso degli Albizzi--His violence excites the anger of the people--They have recourse to Veri de' Medici--The modesty of Veri--He refuses to assume the dignity of prince, and app...

New wars in Italy--Niccolo Piccinino, in concert with the duke of Milan, deceives the pope, and takes many places from the church--Niccolo attacks the Venetians--Fears and preca...

Discords of Florence--Jealousy excited against Neri di Gino Capponi--Baldaccio d'Anghiari murdered--Reform of government in favor of the Medici--Enterprises of Sforza and Piccin...

The count's successes--The Venetians come to terms with him--Views of the Venetians--Indignation of the Milanese against the count--Their ambassador's address to him--The count'...

Contrary measures adopted by the magistrates to effect a pacification--Luigi Guicciardini the Gonfalonier entreats the magistrates of the Arts to endeavor to pacify the people--...

Niccolo Soderini drawn Gonfalonier of Justice--Great hopes excited in consequence--The two parties take arms--The fears of the Signory--Their conduct with regard to Piero--Piero...

Death of Filippo Visconti, duke of Milan--The Milanese appoint Sforza their captain--Milan becomes a republic--The pope endeavors to restore peace to Italy--The Venetians oppose...

Affairs of the pope--He is reconciled to Niccolo Vitelli--Discords between the Colonnesi and the Orsini--Various events--The war of Serezana--Genoa occupied by her archbishop--D...

Francesco Sforza marches to assist the Venetians, and relieves Verona--He attempts to relieve Brescia but fails--The Venetians routed by Piccinino upon the Lake of Garda--Piccin...

Prosecution of the war between the count and the Milanese--The Milanese reduced to extremity--The people rise against the magistrates--Milan surrenders to the count--League betw...

Death of Giovanni de' Medici--His character--Insurrection of Volterra--Volterra returns to her allegiance--Niccolo Fortebraccio attacks the Lucchese--Diversity of opinion about...

Origin of the animosity between Sixtus IV. and Lorenzo de' Medici--Carlo di Braccio da Perugia attacks the Siennese--Carlo retires by desire of the Florentines--Conspiracy again...

Cosmo is banished to Padua--Rinaldo degli Albizzi attempts to restore the nobility--New disturbances occasioned by Rinaldo degli Albizzi--Rinaldo takes arms against the Signory-...

Reflections on the object of war and the use of victory--Niccolo reinforces his army--The duke of Milan endeavors to recover the services of Count Francesco Sforza--Suspicions o...

The pope becomes attached to the Florentines--The Genoese seize Serezanello--They are routed by the Florentines--Serezana surrenders--Genoa submits to the duke of Milan--War bet...

New form of government in Florence--Military establishments--The greatness of Florence--Movements of the Ghibellines--Ghibellines driven out of the city--Guelphs routed by the f...

Cosmo de' Medici, his character and mode of proceedings--The greatness of Cosmo excites the jealousy of the citizens--The opinion of Niccolo da Uzzano--Scandalous divisions of t...

State of the Roman empire under Zeno--Theodoric king of the Ostrogoths--Character of Theodoric--Changes in the Roman empire--New languages--New names--Theodoric dies--Belisarius...

State of the family of the Medici at Florence--Enmity of Sixtus IV. toward Florence--Differences between the family of the Pazzi and that of the Medici--Beginning of the conspir...

Proceedings of the plebeians--The demand they make of the Signory--They insist that the Signory leave the palace--The Signory leave the palace--Michael di Lando Gonfalonier--Com...

War between the Venetians and the Florentines--Peace re-established--Death of Niccolo Soderini--His character--Excesses in Florence--Various external events from 1468 to 1471--A...

The inhabitants of Seravezza appeal to the Signory--Complaints against Rinaldo degli Albizzi--The commissaries changed--Filippo Brunelleschi proposes to submerge the country abo...

Christendom alarmed by the progress of the Turks--The Turks routed before Belgrade--Description of a remarkable hurricane--War against the Genoese and Gismondo Malatesti--Genoa...

Schism in the church--Ambitious views of Giovanni Galeazzo Visconti--The pope and the Romans come to an agreement--Boniface IX. introduces the practice of Annates--Disturbance i...

The vicissitudes of empires--The state of Italy--The military factions of Sforza and Braccio--The Bracceschi and the Sforzeschi attack the pope, who is expelled by the Romans--W...

Bernardo takes possession of Prato, but is not assisted by the inhabitants--He is taken, and the tumult appeased--Corruption of Florence--The duke of Milan in Florence--The chur...

Brescia relieved by Sforza--His other victories--Piccinino is recalled into Lombardy--He endeavors to bring the Florentines to an engagement--He is routed before Anghiari--Serio...

Conspiracy of Stefano Porcari against the papal government--The conspirators discovered and punished--The Florentines recover the places they had lost--Gherardo Gambacorti, lord...

Many cities and territories, subject to the Florentines, rebel--Prudent conduct adopted upon this occasion--The city is divided into quarters--Disputes between the nobility and...

Changes in Florence--The Ghibellines recalled--New form of government in Florence--The Signory created--Victory over the Aretins--The Gonfalonier of Justice created--Ubaldo Ruff...

The emigrants attempt to re-enter Florence, but are not allowed to do so--The companies of the people restored--Restless conduct of Corso Donati--The ruin of Corso Donati--Corso...

The Emperor at Rome--The Florentines refuse to purchase Lucca, and repent of it--Enterprises of the Florentines--Conspiracy of the Bardi and the Frescobaldi--The conspiracy disc...

New occasions of war in Italy--Differences between the marquis of Ferrara, and the Venetians--The king of Naples and the Florentines attack the papal states--The pope's defensiv...

The war of the Florentines against the pope's legate, and the causes of it--League against the pope--The censures of the pope disregarded in Florence--The city is divided into t...

Giovanni de' Medici acquires the favor of the people--Bravery of Biaggio del Melano--Baseness of Zanobi del Pino--The Florentines obtain the friendship of the lord of Faenza--Le...

License and Slavery peculiar defects in republican governments--Application of this reflection to the state of Florence--Giovanni di Bicci di' Medici re-establishes the authorit...

Beginning of the greatness of the pontiffs in Italy--Abuse of censures and indulgences--The pope applies to Pepin, king of France, for assistance--Donation of Pepin to the ponti...

The Florentines prepare for war against the pope--They appeal to a future council--Papal and Neapolitan movements against the Florentines--The Venetians refuse to assist the Flo...

War with Castruccio--Castruccio marches against Prato and retires without making any attempt--The emigrants not being allowed to return, endeavor to enter the city by force, and...

The custom of ancient republics to plant colonies, and the advantage of it--Increased population tends to make countries more healthy--Origin of Florence--Aggrandizement of Flor...

Confusion and riots in the city--Reform of government in opposition to the plebeians--Injuries done to those who favored the plebeians--Michael di Lando banished--Benedetto Albe...

The state of Italy--Beginning of the greatness of the house of Este--Guelphs and Ghibellines--Death of the Emperor Frederick II.--Manfred takes possession of the kingdom of Napl...

The Florentines murmur against those who had been advocates of the war--Rinaldo degli Albizzi encourages the citizens--Measures for the prosecution of the war--Attempt of the hi...

New regulations for the elections of the Signory--Confusion in the City--Piero degli Albizzi and other citizens condemned to death--The Florentines alarmed by the approach of Ch...

Irruption of Northern people upon the Roman territories--Visigoths--Barbarians called in by Stilicho--Vandals in Africa--Franks and Burgundians give their names to France and Bu...