Mohonasen Central School
District
District Home Mohonasen HS Draper MS Pinewood IS Bradt PS
In the year 1215, when Gherardo
Orlandi was podestà of Florence, Bondelmonte dei Buondelmonti promised to marry
a young woman from the house of Amidei, honorable and noble citizens. Later, as
Buondelmonte, a graceful and skillful horseman, was riding through the city, a
woman from the house of Donati called to him and criticized the marriage
agreement he had made, saying his betrothed was neither beautiful nor fine
enough for him. "I've been saving my own daughter for you," she said,
and showed the daughter to him. The daughter was very beautiful and immediately
with the devil's connivance, Buondelmonte was so smitten that he married her.
The first girl's family met
together, smarting from the shame Buondelmonte had placed upon them, and they
were filled with a terrible indignation that would destroy and divide the city
of Florence. Many noble houses plotted together to bring shame on Buondelmonte
in reprisal for these injuries. As they were discussing whether they should beat
or wound him, Mosca dei Lamberti spoke the evil words, ‘A thing done has a
head,’ that is, they should kill him. And thus it happened, for on Easter
morning the Amidei of Santo Stefano assembled in their house, and as
Buondelmonte came from the other side of the Arno nobly attired in new, white
clothes, riding a white palfrey, when he arrived on this side of the old bridge,
precisely at the foot of the pillar where the statue of Mars stood, he was
pulled from his horse by Schiatta degli Uberti, assaulted and wounded by Mosca
Lamberti and Lambertuccio degli Amidei, and finished off by Oderigo Fifanti.
They had with them one of the Counts of Gangalandi.
As a result, the city was thrown
into strife and disorder, for Buondelmonte's death was the cause and beginning
of the cursed Guelf and Ghibelline parties in Florence. To be sure, there were
already divisions among the noble citizens, and these parties already existed
because of the quarrels and disputes between church and empire; yet it was
because of Buondelmonte's death that all the noble families and other Florentine
citizens were divided into factions, some siding with the Buondelmonti, leaders
of the Guelf party, and others with the Uberti, leaders of the Ghibellines.
Translation by David Burr [olivi@mail.vt.edu].
Maintained
according to Mohonasen Central School District Web Publishing Regulations by
Emer O'Keeffe, High School Librarian, Mohonasen High School,
2072 Curry Road, Schenectady, N.Y. 12303, (518) 356-8330
©2001 Mohonasen Central School District - All rights reserved.
Last modified on 05.06.2005