Brief Chronology

c. 134 7 Catherine born. 1348 Black Death strikes . 1355 Fall of the Nove, beginning of the regime of the Dodici. 1362 Death of Catherine's sister, Buonaventura. c. 1363- Catherine's period of spiritual education under the direction of 1368 Sienese Dominicans. First contacts with the mantellate. 1368 Fall of the Dodici, replaced by a coalition of nobles, Nove, Dodici, and members of the popolo minuto. 2 2 August. Death oflacopo di Benincasa. (Mter 1368) Catherine enrolled in the community of the mantellate. 1370 Death of Urban V, election of Pierre Roger II as Pope Gregory XI. 13 71 Revolt of the Bruco and Salimbeni/Dodici coup attempt. Catherine saves her brothers from enemies during the unrest. Banishment of the Salimbeni and disenfranchisement of the Dodici. Beginning of the regime of the Riformatori. 1374 Catherine travels to Florence to attend the General Chapter of the Dominicans. Meets elite members of the Florentine Parte Guelfa. Probable occasion for the writing of the Miracoli. Receives as her . The Salimbeni and allies revolt in the Sienese contado. Plague and famine in Tuscany. Death of Catherine's , Bar• tolomeo di Iacopo.

xi CHRONOLOGY

1374 Papal governors refuse to supply Florence with grain. Rumors of (cont) church-sponsored plots against Florence and intensification of ten• sions between Florence and the Papacy. 1375 Catherine travels to Pisa, returning in June to attend the execution of Niccolo di Toldo. June. Peace between the papacy and Barnabo Visconti, signore of Milan. Catherine writes to Barnabo. Army ofJohn Hawkwood released from papal service. Hawkwood extracts payments from Florence, , and other cities. july. Formation of mutual defense treaty bet~een Florence and Milan. Florentines call on Siena, Pisa, Lucca, and others to join league against the church. Election in Florence of the "Eight " to tax clerical property. November. Siena joins the Florentine league. Winter. Revolts of Perugia and other cities of the . 1376 January. Catherine's first letter to Gregory XI. March. Pisa and Lucca join the Florentine league. Bologna revolts. Flo• rence placed under by Gregory XI. April. Visionary letter to Raymond of Capua (in ) on persecu• tion of the church and her own mission. Catherine travels to Florence, resides with Niccolo Soderini. May. Catherine travels to Avignon, arriving on 18 June. September. Pope Gregory XI departs Avignon for Italy. After negotia• tions, submits to the pope on 21 December. November. Catherine departs for Italy. 1377 February. Slaughter at . April. Founding of Catherine's convent at Belcaro, near Siena, former fortress of Nanni di ser Vanni. Raymond of Capua elected of the Dominican community of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, in Rome. Late summer-winter. Catherine travels to Salimbeni territory. Responds to Sienese suspicions that she was plotting against the regime, and writes to reassure Sienese followers. Experiences "Dialogue" vision and writing miracle. October. Tensions in negotiations between Florence and Gregory XI. Florentine Signoria orders violation of the interdict. 1378 Winter. Catherine travels to Florence, residing with Niccolo Soderini and Piero Canigiani.

2 7 March. Death of Gregory XI. Election of Pope Urban VI on 8 April. june. In Florence, Catherine targeted, but not harmed, during initial unrest connected to the Revolt of the Ciompi. xu Chronology 28]uly. Peace between Florence and the Pope Urban VI. 2 o September. In Avignon, Robert of Geneva elected as Pope Clement VII, in opposition to Urban VI. Beginning of schism. November. Catherine travels to Rome. Raymond of Capua enlisted as papal ambassador. 13 79 Catherine in Rome with a group of her followers, writing in support of church reform and unity under Urban VI. Her health deteriorates. 1380 29 April. Catherine dies in Rome.

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Map 1. The World of . t Florence

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Map 2. Siena and Its Environs, ca.l370.

The Saintly Politics of Catherine of Siena