www.cristoraul.org THE STATES OF ITALY HISTORY OF VERONA A. M. ALLEN 1 www.cristoraul.org PREFACE THERE is no need to explain the origin of this attempt to write the history of Verona, the inherent fascination of the subject speaks for itself. But I cannot let this volume appear without expressing my sincere thanks to all who have assisted me during its preparation. First and foremost I desire to thank the cavaliere Gaetano da Re, of the Biblioteca Comunale at Verona, who, during my two visits to Verona, in 1904 and 1906, placed at my disposal the treasures both of the library and of his learning with the most generous kindness, and since then has settled more than one difficult point. From the other officials of this library, and those of the other libraries I visited, the Biblioteca Capitolare at Verona, the Biblioteca Marciana and the Archivio di Stato (in the Frari) at Venice, and the Archivio Gonzaga at Mantua, I met with the same unfailing and courteous assistance. Among modern works I have found Count Carlo Cipolla’s writings on Verona and his scholarly edition of the early Veronese chroniclers invaluable, while J. M. Gittermann’s Ezzelino III. da Romano, E. Salzer’s Ueber die Anfange der Signorie in Oberitalien, and H. Spangenberg’s Cangrande I are all of the first importance for various periods of Veronese history. My thanks are also due to Miss Croom-Brown, who constructed the three maps, the result of much careful research, and to my cousin, Mr. Alfred Jukes Allen, who read the proofs with minute accuracy. But most of all do I wish to express my gratitude to the editor of the whole series, Mr. Armstrong, to whose generous help, kindly encouragement, and wise counsel whatever there is of good in this book is due. 2 www.cristoraul.org CHAPTERS Early History The Development of the Self-governing Commune The Rise of Ezzelino da Romano Ezzelino da Romano as an Independent Ruler The Founding of the Scaligeri Dynasty under Mastino I. Alberto I Bartolomeo I and Alboino Cangrande I. (1) Cangrande I. (2) Social and Economic Development under Cangrande I and His Successors The Culminating Point of the Scaligeri The Downfall of Alberto II and Mastino II. Cangrande II and Cansignorio The End of the Scaligeri Verona under the Visconti and Carraresi Later History The Veronese School of Painting Sculpture and Architecture 3 www.cristoraul.org CHAPTER I EARLY HISTORY THE origin of Verona is still an unsolved problem. It is known that the Romans found a town there when they first penetrated north of the Po, but no classical writer has anything certain to say of either the nationality of its inhabitants or the date of its foundation. It has been suggested that the original Veronese were Cimbrians, on the supposition that the Raudian plain, where Marius defeated the Cimbrians in101 B.C., was near Verona, a supposition borne out by the existence of a settlement of so-called Cimbrians in the mountains north-east of the city, the German-speaking Thirteen Communes. But it is now held that the Raudian plain is near Vercelli, while Count Carlo Cipolla has shown, by the aid of a large mass of documentary evidence, that the region of the Thirteen Communes was uninhabited till late in the thirteenth century, when it was colonised by German immigrants. In 89 B.C. Verona, in common with the other cities of Gallia Transpadana, received the Latin franchise. Forty years later the full franchise was conferred on the Transpadanes by Julius Caesar. Under the early Emperors Verona was raised to the position of a colony, and received the name of Colonia Augusta, though not, as the title might seem to imply, under Augustus, for the elder Pliny does not include the city in his list of Roman colonies. During the early Empire many fine buildings sprang up in Verona, an amphitheatre, a theatre, a circus, a capitol, temples and baths. The site of the capitol is thought to have been on the hill now disfigured by the Castel di S. Pietro, and the statue forming part of the fountain in the Piazza Erbe is said to have been discovered there.1 The splendid arch to Jupiter Ammon, which was still standing in the seventeenth century, has almost idisappeared, and nothing is left of the many temples enumerated as still in existence in an eighth century metrical description of Verona, but the theatre and amphitheatre still exist, and a fine gateway known as the Porta dei Borsari. According to one theory the upper part of this gate is a century later than the rest, and dates from a decadent period, but even if this is so it must be owned that the double series of alternate windows and columns is singularly beautiful. The remnants of another gate, the Arco dei Leoni in the street leading to the Ponte delle Navi, is now held to be later than Roman times, probably of the sixth century.3 The first Roman walls included only a small part of the modern town. On the left bank of the Adige they took in only the hill of S. Pietro, and a small piece of level ground at its foot. On the right bank a wall cut off the northern end of the land lying in the loop of the river, starting from a point just West of the Church of S. Eufemia, and reaching the river again half-way between the Ponte Nuovo and the Ponte delle Navi. The amphitheatre was outside this wall, but Gallienus made an extension which included it A Roman bridge stood where the Ponte di Pietra now stands—indeed the two Eastern arches of the present bridge are said to be of Roman masonry—another led from the theatre to the site now occupied by S. Anastasia, and some authorities hold that there was a third higher up the river, not far from the Ponte del Castelvecchio. 4 www.cristoraul.org During the break-up of the Western Empire, Verona underwent more than one siege, and saw several decisive battles fought below her walls. Constantine defeated the troops of Maxentius there in 312, and Theodoric those of Odoacer in 489. Theodoric made Ravenna his capital, but Verona was always his favourite dwelling-place, and her name is united for ever with his in German legend as Dietrich’s Bern. But Veronese mediaeval tradition was far from favourable to the great Ostrogoth. A rough twelfth century bas- relief on the façade of S. Zeno represents a crowned horseman chasing a stag, and a contemporary inscription below states that horse, hounds and stag had been sent by the devil to lure the royal hunter on to hell. Tradition identifies this horseman with Theodoric, and the whole bas-relief is riddled with little holes bored by the Veronese gamins in the hope of smelling the sulphur from the flames in which the great Goth is still popularly supposed to be burning. It is probable that the obloquy in which his favourite city held Theodoric’s memory was owing to his Arianism, for the mediaeval Veronese, though later inclined to favour Emperor against Pope, were otherwise strictly orthodox. The destruction of the ancient Church of S. Stefano to make room for new fortifications is attributed to Theodoric, and would not have tended to ingratiate him with the orthodox party. Yet he did much both for the beauty and healthiness of the city. On the hill of S. Pietro he built a palace, the substructures of which can still be traced amongst the remains of the buildings, which have in succession occupied that site. He strengthened and enlarged the walls, repaired the aqueduct, and built arcades and public baths. With the coming of the Lombards, Verona for a short time rose into prominence. Alboin, the Lombard king who led the invaders into Italy, took up his abode there, and there in 572 he was slain. His death has been the subject of countless poems and tales, from the old Lombard chroniclers to the present day. The longest and most circumstantial original account is that given by Paul the Deacon, who wrote a history of the Lombards in the eighth century. The main outlines of Paul’s version are as follows: Before entering Italy, Alboin had slain Cunimund, a chieftain of the Gepidi, and married his daughter Rosamund. One day at a banquet, Alboin commanded Rosamund to drink wine from a goblet which had been made from her father’s skull. Rosamund obeyed, but her heart burnt within her for rage and shame. From that moment the one purpose of her life was to take vengeance on Alboin. An armour-bearer, named Helmichis, became her accomplice, and between them they persuaded an extraordinarily strong man named Peredeo to undertake to slay the King. On the day appointed, Rosamund sent every one out of the palace, on the plea that the King’s midday siesta should be undisturbed. Then, when she had bound his sword fast to the head of the bed, and removed all his other weapons and armour, she led Peredeo to the royal chamber. Alboin, suddenly aroused from sleep, turned to seize his sword, found he could not draw it from the scabbard, and realized that he was betrayed. Snatching up a footstool he made a valiant attempt to defend his life, but all in vain. Rosamund and Helmichis fled to Ravenna, where they married, but Longinus, the prefect of Ravenna, fell in love with Rosamund and persuaded her to make away with Helmichis.