History of Pisa
This article covers the history of the city of Pisa . General information about this city can be found at Pisa .
Antiquity
The old town of Pisa is located on the site of the ancient Pisae ( Greek Πίσαι Pisai ) on the right bank of the Arno . This is mentioned for the first time in history as the place where a Roman army from Sardinia 225 BC. Chr. Landed; at the time the city had a port at the mouth of the southern branch of the Arno, north of Livorno . Due to its location on the coast road ( Via Aemilia ) it was important as a border fortress against Liguria . Pisa belonged, perhaps until Sulla's time , not to Etruria , but to Liguria, whereby the actual border was between Pisa and Vada Volaterrana (today Vada ). It was 180 BC. It became a Roman colony and was important for shipbuilding due to the fertility of its territory, its quarries and the forest.
Augustus gave it the name Colonia Iulia Pisana ; his grandsons Gaius and Lucius were patrons of the colony, and after their death monuments were erected in their honor, as recorded in two traditional inscriptions. Greek vases have been found in the city itself, suggesting the existence of Etruscan tombs. But there are no remains, except for some ruins of baths and a temple from the Roman period, while the Piazza dei Cavalieri follows the outline of an ancient theater.
Lombards and Franks
Little is known about the history of Pisa during the Great Migration. It is clear that it was one of the first cities to regain independence. Under Byzantine rule, Pisa, like many of the other seafaring cities in Italy, benefited from the weakness of the government in Constantinople . And even during the first years of the Lombard government, the need of the new masters to protect the Italian coast from the attacks of the Byzantines favored the development of the Pisan fleet.
Little details are known about the real state of the city; but Pisa is occasionally mentioned, almost as if it had been an independent city, at moments when Italy was struck by the greatest blows of fate. In Amari's words, it was already independent at sea while still enslaved on land. Its prosperity declined especially after the establishment of the Lombard rule and under the Franks . It began to bloom again under the Marquis of Tuscany, who ruled it on behalf of the Emperor.
High Middle Ages
For the year 1003 there are reports of a war between Pisa and Lucca , which after Muratori was the first between Italian cities in the Middle Ages. But the military development and real importance of Pisa in the 11th century must be ascribed to the continuous and desperate struggle against the Saracen invasions from Sicily . Though the numerous legends and fables of the ancient chroniclers obscure the true story of this struggle, they confirm the importance of Pisa in those days. From the eleventh century Pisa was a maritime republic .
In 1004 the Saracens stormed the gates and sacked a quarter of the city; In 1011 they renewed the attack. But the Pisans repulsed them and went on the offensive in Calabria , Sicily and even Africa. Even more memorable was the expedition that was subsequently undertaken by the combined forces of Pisa and Genoa against Mogahid, better known in the Italian chronicles as Mugeto. The Muslim leader had made himself lord of Sardinia and was driven from there in 1015 by the Allied fleets. Again he invaded the island, was attacked again and beaten by the same opponents. He left a brother and a son, or as some sources claim, a wife and son prisoners.
Sardinia continued to be ruled by local judges who acted like little sovereigns but were under the suzerainty of Pisa. This was the main reason for the Genoese envy and for their wars against Pisa, which they continued until its power was broken. Meanwhile Pisa flourished more and more and continued its hostile actions against the Saracens. In 1062 his ships returned from Palermo laden with booty . So it is not surprising that Pisa already had its own code of law (Consuetudini di mare) approved by Gregory VII in 1075 and confirmed by a patent from King Henry IV in 1081 , a document that for the first time the existence of a magistrate mentioned analogously to the consuls of the republic, even if the latter, according to some authors, was already in Pisa in 1080. This point is doubtful, however, and other authors date the first authentic mention of the consuls to the year 1095. The oldest of the traditional Pisan statutes is the Breve dei consile di mare from 1162.
The Pisans took part in the first crusade , which ended with the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 , and derived many commercial advantages from it. For within a short time they had banks, consuls, warehouses and privileges of all kinds in every eastern port. So while the municipality of Pisa was still under the rule of the Marquis of Tuscany, all negotiations with the city were conducted as if it were an independent state officially represented by the Archbishop and the consuls.
The aristocrats were the dominant party and held the highest offices in the republic, which came to great power in the 12th century through its wars with the Lucchesi, Genoese and Muslims, both on water and on land. In 1110 Pisa made peace after six years of continuous war. In the years 1113 to 1115 an even larger company he succeeded: In Balearic Islands war a supposedly 300 ships comprehensive Pisan grabbed fleet, commanded by Archbishop Pietro Moriconi, in cooperation with many other ships, which were provided by Catalans and various territorial rulers Occitan, the Balearic Islands to . Up to 20,000 Christians are said to have been held captive by the Muslims. The united armed forces finally conquered the capital of Mallorca, returned home with booty and a multitude of Christian and Muslim prisoners. The former were set free or ransomed, and among the latter was the last descendant of the ruling dynasty. The main eunuch who ruled Mallorca died in the siege.
Conflict with Genoa
Immediately afterwards the 14 Years War (1118–1132) broke out with Genoa. The two republics fought for maritime domination and both claimed supreme power over the islands of Corsica and Sardinia (see also the history of Corsica ). A papal edict that gave the Pisan Church supremacy over Corsica turned out to be a sufficient reason for war. Then Innocent II transferred the supremacy over parts of Corsica to the Genoese Church and compensated Pisa with land in Sardinia and elsewhere. Accordingly, the Pisans moved to the Pope and Emperor Lothar III. to satisfy, in Neapolitan territory to fight the Normans . They helped defend the city of Naples and attacked and plundered Amalfi twice (1135 and 1137) , with the result that the city never regained its old prosperity.
The war with Genoa never really ended. Even after the recapture of Jerusalem by the Muslims (1187), the Pisans and Genoese came back to the east. They demonstrated their hostility in the Sicilian War on behalf of Emperor Henry VI. From that moment on it was clear that there would be no lasting peace between the rival powers until one was destroyed. The greatness and prosperity of the Pisans at this stage in history is evident in the construction of many posh houses that adorn the city. The foundations for the cathedral were laid in 1063 and its consecration took place in 1174. The baptistery was started in 1152 and the campanile (the famous Leaning Tower ) followed in 1173. All three structures were mainly the work of Pisan artists who breathed new life into Italian architecture as they later revived the art of sculpture.
Conflict with Florence
Some scribes - Tronci in particular - claim that Pisa adopted a more democratic form of government in the 12th century. In fact, the highest office was still held by the nobles, who exercised almost sovereign power in both Pisa and Sardinia. They formed the real strength of the republic and ensured that it remained loyal to the emperor and the Ghibelline party . The guelfish and popular element that made up the power and prosperity of Florence was hostile to Pisa and led to its fall.
Independence from Florence was much later, dated to the time of Margravine Matilda's death (1115), but the city rose rapidly and inevitably became a rival of Pisa. Because of the political and commercial interests that bound Florence to the Roman court, the Guelfic element prevailed there, while the growth of its commercial activities forced the state to encroach on waters under Pisan rule. And although Pisa had by then been able to oppose Genoa and Lucca, the fight was no longer so easy because its enemies were militarily and politically supported by the Florentines, who were adept at gaining powerful allies.
The chroniclers attributed the first war with Florence, which broke out in 1222, to a highly ridiculous motive. The envoys of the rival states in Rome are said to have quarreled over a lap dog. It just goes to show that there were already so many general and ongoing reasons for war that no special occasion was necessary to provoke it. In 1228 the Pisans met the combined forces of Florence and Lucca near Barga in Garfagna and defeated them. At the same time they sent 52 galleys to aid Frederick II on his expedition to the east. Shortly afterwards the war with the Genoese over Sardinia was resumed. The judges who ruled the island were constantly at odds with one another, and because some of them went to Pisa and others to Genoa, the Italian sea was once more stained with blood.
The war broke out repeatedly until 1259 and ended in a decisive victory for the Pisans and the consolidation of their supremacy in Sardinia. But in the meantime Florence had entered into an alliance with Genoa, Lucca and the Guelf cities of Tuscany against its Ghibelline rival. The Pope excommunicated Frederick II and all of his followers. The crowning catastrophe for the Italian Ghibellines was the death of Frederick II in 1250. Nevertheless, the Pisans were undaunted. With exiles from Siena , Pistoia and Florence at their side, they stood confidently against the enemy, but were defeated in 1254.
Soon after this time, the old aristocratic government of Pisa was replaced by a form closer to the people. Instead of the consuls there were now twelve elders ( anziani ); next to the Podestà there was a Capitano des Volks, and next to it there was a general council and a 40-member senate. With the defeat of the Tuscan Guelphs in the Battle of Montaperto (1260), the tide turned again in favor of Pisa. But the Battle of Benevento (1266), in which Manfred fell, and the defeat of Tagliacozzo (1268), which sealed the fall of the House of Hohenstaufen in Italy and the rise of the Anjou , were fatal for Pisa. The republic had always been on the side of the empire and favored Konradin .
The Pope issued an edict against the Pisans trying to take Sardinia away from them, while their traders were ousted from Sicily by the Angevins. These events affected the internal state of the city. The Ghibelline party quickly lost ground due to the growing influence of the Guelphs and the bourgeoisie, which the more ambitious nobles clung to to further their personal goals. The first man to take the initiative at that moment was Ugolino della Gherardesca from the influential house of that name. He had practically become the head of the republic, and in order to preserve his independence and his own rule, despite the Ghibelline traditions of his sex, he leaned toward the Guelfs and the bourgeoisie. He was assisted by his relative Giovanni Visconti, who was a judge in Gallura.
But almost all other important families hated him and declared him a traitor to his party, his country and his family. So he and Visconti were exiled in 1274. Both joined the Florentines, took part in the war against their hometown and devastated the surrounding area. In 1276 the Pisans were forced to agree to bitter terms: exempting the Florentine trade from all port fees, surrendering certain fortresses to Lucca, and allowing the return of Count Ugolino, whose houses they had burned down and whose land they had confiscated. So the count again became a powerful leader in Pisa. Visconti, on the other hand, was dead.
Battle of Meloria and its consequences
This was the moment Genoa chose for a decisive war with its eternal rival. For a number of years the two fleets stalked each other, engaging only in minor skirmishes as if to measure their strength and prepare for a final blow. On August 6, 1284, the decisive battle of Meloria took place. 72 Pisans faced 88 Genoese galleys. Half of the Pisan ships were boarded or destroyed. The chroniclers speak of 5,000 dead and 9,000 to 11,000 prisoners; Although these figures should be viewed with caution, the number of prisoners was so great that it was said: To see Pisans, you must go to Genoa now.
This defeat did not completely break Pisa's power, but in the period that followed, it had ever greater problems in maintaining its remaining territory. Another consequence of the lost war was that the Tuscan Guelphs got together again to attack Pisa. Count Ugolino had participated in the Battle of Meloria and was accused of treason. At the height of the catastrophe for his country, he tried to keep himself in power by reaching an agreement with Florence by surrendering certain fortresses to Lucca and by failing to conclude negotiations with Genoa on the release of the prisoners , for fear that they were more or less hostile to him. This stirred up a storm of indignation against him. Archbishop Ruggieri, who had placed himself at the head of the nobility, was elected Podestà by the Lanfranchi, Sismondi and Gualandi, as well as by part of the bourgeoisie. The city sank in the civil war between supporters of the archbishop and supporters of the count. After a day of struggle (July 1, 1288), the count, his two sons and two grandsons were arrested in the Palazzo del popolo and thrown into a tower that belonged to the Gualandi and was called the Tower of the Seven Streets. Here they should all die of starvation. Her tragic end was later immortalized in the Divine Comedy . The sympathies of Dante Alighieri , a Florentine patriot and enemy of Rome, were naturally on the side of the victim of the aristocratic prelate who opposed a reconciliation with Florence.
The Florentines, who grew stronger economically, were now allied with Lucca and Genoa. Some of their ships were able to gain access to the Pisan port, blocked it with sunk boats and occupied its fortress towers. Their own internal disagreement put an end to the 1293 campaign, but only after they had made an advantageous peace. You and all members of the Guelfan alliance were exempt from all taxes in Pisa and its port. In addition to these privileges, the Genoese held Corsica and part of Sardinia; all over the island of Elba they were exempt from taxes. They received a ransom of 160,000 lire for their Pisan prisoners. There weren't many left, however, because a large part had perished from the privations they had suffered.
Under changing masters
In 1312, the arrival of Emperor Henry VII delighted the hearts of the Pisans, but his sudden death in 1313 again disappointed their hopes. He was buried in Pisa, and Uguccione della Faggiola remained as an imperial lieutenant, was elected Podestà and Capitano of the People, and in this way became practically master of the city. As a Ghibelline leader of repute and valor, he was able to restore Pisa's military prestige. Under his command it conquered Lucca and defeated the Florentines on August 29, 1315 in the battle of Montecatini . But his rule was so tyrannical that he was driven out by public anger in 1316.
But Pisa's freedom was lost forever. He was followed by other lords or tyrants, the most famous of whom was Castruccio Castracani , a political and military adventurer of the same stamp as Uguccione. With the help of Ludwig of Bavaria, Castruccio became master of Lucca and Pisa and was victorious over the Florentines; but his untimely death in 1328 made the city again a victim of opposing parties. New masters came to power at this stage, but the military heroism of the Pisans was not yet extinguished. At sea they were almost passed out, now that Corsica and Sardinia were lost to them; but on land they were still to be taken seriously.
In 1341 they besieged Lucca to prevent the entry of the Florentines, to whom the city had been sold by the mighty Mastino della Scala for 250,000 florins. Supported by their allies Milan , Mantua and Padua , they went into battle against their rivals, inflicted a setback on them at Altopascio (October 2nd) and expelled them from their port again. Thereupon the Florentines received the Talamone port of Siena and founded their own fleet. With that they were able to conquer the island of Giglio . They attacked the port of Pisan, took off his chains and took them in a triumphal procession to Florence, where they were hung in front of the baptistery. They stayed there until 1848, when they were returned to Pisa as evidence of the brotherhood of all Italian cities, where they were exhibited in Campo Santo.
The war was now carried on by the free guilds with varying degrees of luck, but always more or less to the detriment of Pisa. In 1369 Lucca was withdrawn from them by Emperor Charles IV . After that, Gian Galeazzo Visconti , the Conte di Virtù, decided to advance his ambitious plans for all of Italy by wresting the Gambacorti from Pisa. Because at that time in the conflict between the Raspanti faction - led by the Gherardesca - with the Bergolini - led by the Gambacorti - the latter family had become the master of the city. At Visconti's instigation, Piero Gambacorti, the current ruler, was treacherously murdered by Jacopo d'Appiano. He followed him as the tyrant of Pisa and bequeathed the state to his son Gherado. The latter, a man with little skill and courage, sold Pisa to the Conte di Virtù in exchange for 200,000 florins, Piombino and the islands of Elba, Pianosa and Monte Cristo.
In 1399 Visconti took possession of Pisa and left it to his son Gabriele Maria Visconti, who was later exiled. But even during this century of disasters, the Pisans not only continued their trading activities, but also the fine arts. In 1278 they entrusted the construction of their beautiful Campo Santo Niccolò and Giovanni Pisano , who completed the architectural part towards the end of the century. In the following year, the first Italian artists were engaged in its decoration, and the famous frescoes attributed to Andrea Orcagna were painted. Others were subsequently supplied by Benozzo Gozzoli and men of lesser importance, and the adornment work was not stopped until 1464.
Conquest by Florence
In the meantime the Florentines attacked Pisa one more time in 1406 and besieged it from sea and land at the same time. Due to the famine among the defenders and supported by the betrayal of Giovanni Gambacorti, they entered the city in triumph on October 9 and tried to nip every rebellion in the bud and to drive the citizens out of the city with extremely cruel measures. As a result, there was a steady stream of emigrants from Pisa for a long time.
The Medici took a more humane approach. In 1472 Lorenzo il Magnifico tried to restore the old reputation of the Pisan University . For this purpose he provided them with famous scholars and forced the Florentines, apart from a few chairs for science and philosophy, to complete their studies in Pisa. But nothing could really alleviate the inextinguishable hatred of the defeated people. When Charles VIII set off on his journey to Italy in 1494 and came to Sarzana on the way to Tuscany , the Pisans welcomed him with great rallies of joy. And although the monarch was supposedly a friend of Florence, even in his presence they did not hesitate to throw the Florentine flag, the Marzocco , into the Arno and prepare for war.
Between 1499 and 1505 they withstood three sieges and repulsed three attacking armies. But their opponents kept coming back to attack, and what was worse, every year devastated their territory and destroyed their crops. Piero Soderini , the permanent gonfalonier of Florence, and Machiavelli , secretary of the Dieci , drove the war forward. In 1509, Florence and its troops camped on three sides of the beleaguered city, which finally had to surrender due to the famine on June 8th, 1509. From then on, the Florentines remained masters of Pisa.
But now the conquerors showed great nobility, mainly thanks to the efforts of Soderini and Machiavelli. They brought with them large quantities of provisions that were distributed free of charge to everyone. They tried in every way to assist the suffering lower population and gave other support to the wealthier classes. Nonetheless, the emigration continued on a larger scale than in 1506, and the actual history of Pisa could be considered over.
Pisa as part of Tuscany
In Naples, Palermo, all of Italy, Switzerland and the south of France one can still find the names of the Pisan families who left their beloved homeland at the time. The Florentines immediately built a new citadel, which was of great bitterness for the Pisans. The Medici, however, remained well disposed towards the city. Leo X was an active patron of the university, but it fell into disrepair after his death. The Grand Duke Cosimo I , a real statesman, not only promoted the university again, but also set up the uffizio dei fossi , a drainage office for the reclamation of the marshland, and founded the Knightly Order of San Stefano. This order played a noble role in protecting Tuscan trade by fighting pirates and establishing the prestige of the Grand Ducal Navy.
Pisa's prosperity deteriorated under the Medici who followed. Ferdinand I initiated a few public works there and, above all, had the cathedral restored, which was partially destroyed by a fire in 1595. However, those gloomy times are brightened up by a name: that of Galileo Galilei .
The history of Pisa as part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and later Italy is reported in the articles Tuscany and History of Italy .
literature
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