Taddeo Pepoli

Taddeo Pepoli (* around 1290 in Bologna ; † end of September 1347 there ) was a banker and politician and Signore of Bologna in the period 1337-1347 .

youth

The family coat of arms. The political supporters of the Pepoli are called Fraction Scacchese after the checkerboard pattern .

Taddeo Pepoli is the first-born son of Romeo Pepoli and Azzolina Tettalasini of the richest family in Bologna. He had six brothers and three sisters. The families of both parents come from the class of moneylenders or money changers and held important political offices, even if they came from different political camps: Romeo was more Guelfish , Azzolina comes from a Ghibelline family.

As was the custom at that time, the young Taddeo was registered as a member of the guild of money changers as early as 1294. In 1308 Romeo Pepoli arranged for Taddeo to marry Bartolomea Samaritani, the sister of his ally Bornio Samaritani. There are four sons and three daughters from this marriage. Above all, this bond and the prestige of Bornio's brother-in-law strengthened Taddeo's public reputation and social position.

In 1314 he became a member of the Società d'Armi dei Castelli , together with his father, brothers and other family members . In 1317 Taddeo was already handling banking transactions independently and independently of his father. He studied civil law at the University of Bologna and gave legal advice even before graduating, for example on the drafting of the (now lost) municipal statutes of 1317. In 1320 he was awarded the Licentia docendi . This event was celebrated in May with a sensational festival, which was attended by a large part of the city's citizens and which was an important stage for the public perception of Taddeo. City authorities had decided to publicly fund this festival as a token of gratitude to the graduate's father, Romeo Peopli, who had personally funded food committees and military initiatives in the city over the years. However, this decision about the use of tax money also caused polemics in political and academic circles. There was no doubt that the city, due to its financial dependence, would sooner or later turn into a domain of Romeo Pepolis, and that this opulent festival represented an indirect legitimation of Taddeo as his successor. As a result, and spurred on by other violations of the republican customs of the commune , the political opponents of the Scacchese Romeo Pepolis faction, united in the Maltraversa faction, were able to lead a successful uprising that forced the Pepoli family to flee Bologna into exile in July 1321 .

Exile and return

The Pepoli were taken with the Estonians , Margraves of Ferrara . Romeo Pepoli died in 1322. The brothers and their allies repeatedly tried to take military action against the city. In a battle on November 15, 1325 near Monteveglio , a great victory over Bologna was won with the support of Modena . The area around Bologna was then devastated, but the troops did not dare to attack the city themselves. Weakened, the city submitted by resolution of the Consiglio del Popolo in February 1327 to the papal legate Bertrand du Pouget , who had already brought Parma and Reggio , and finally Modena, under his control the year before. Because of displeasure at the presence of the legate, the Scacchese party secretly grew again in the city. The legate made peace with this by promising the return of Taddeo and his, who actually moved back to Bologna on March 22, 1328.

The legate wanted to secure the support of the rich and influential Pepoli family, which he wanted to play off against his opponents in the city. Just a few months after their return, Taddeo and his supporters held important positions in administration and in diplomatic missions. But the relationship between Taddeo Pepoli and Bertrand du Pouget was marked by mutual distrust. The Legate soon found out that Taddeo and his supporters were also opposed to him, but he did not dare to arrest Taddeo because he feared a general uprising.

Only when the legate even uncovered a conspiracy against him by the Pepoli and the Gozzadini in 1332 did he have Taddeo arrested and locked up in the Castello di Galliera together with his closest allies, Bornio Samaritani and Brandelisio Gozzadini. However, the people were so outraged by these arrests that the Legate had to release their prisoners after a few hours. In March 1334, Taddeo, with the same allies, led the decisive revolt that put the legate to flight.

The first consequence after the legate's expulsion was a resurgence of factional battles between the Maltraversa and the Scacchese , which this time ended favorably for Taddeo and led to the exile of his fiercest opponents. This was followed by a restoration of the urban communal system of government with its political and judicial organs, in which Taddeo and his allies participated. The following period was marked by the difficulty of re-establishing control in the area around the community in the face of recurring military raids by the exiled families of the Maltraversa . The Consiglio del Popolo commissioned Taddeo and his brother Zerra Pepoli with the defense of the surrounding communities. This situation of permanent military mobilization and the worsening of the municipality's financial difficulties favored Taddeo's political rise. First, the committee, in which Taddeo was represented with his allies, was given more and more decision-making power over financial and military matters. In addition, there was the especially symbolically significant privilege of carrying weapons in the premises of the city government, which the citizens were otherwise forbidden.

The connection between the Pepoli and the Estonians became noticeable in foreign policy: With the support of Bologna, they succeeded in taking Modena in 1336, while Taddeo's sons Giacomo and Giovanni were the military leaders of Bologna's troops. This new political situation in the neighboring city, which was traditionally hostile to Bologna, also strengthened Taddeo's position.

The rapid rise on the political stage, however, ended the alliance with the Gozzadini , once competitors and rivals, but since the time of exile in 1321 fellow campaigners and loyal allies of the Pepoli. Brandelisio Gozzadini in particular became increasingly frustrated by the increasing concentration of power in the person of Taddeo Pepolis. In January 1337 this led to an open confrontation between the supporters of the Pepoli and those of the Gozzadini, which was settled by direct intervention by Taddeo. In July the riots broke out again and this time led to the ostracism of the Gozzadini and the banishment of Brandelisio. A fourteen-member commission was set up, made up of Taddeo, Bornio and other allies, which was given authority to clarify the new political situation. In fact, she was preparing the final steps for Taddeo to finally seize power.

On August 28, 1337, his followers militarily occupied the square and the palace of the Commune without significant resistance, and Taddeo was proclaimed by an overwhelming majority in the Consiglio del Popolo "Governor General and permanent governor of the city and people of Bologna".

Signoria

On the right the Palazzo Pepoli Vecchio, the construction of which was started under Taddeo.

The new Signor of Bologna subsequently improved this title to “Preserver of Peace and Justice”, which was confirmed by a further resolution of the Consiglios with a large majority, as was his new powers. Full political, legislative, financial and military power was now concentrated in the hands of Taddeo, who immediately presented himself as the governor of the commune's prerogatives and powers. Behind this cautious and formally respectful attitude towards the republican tradition there were of course claims to the legitimation of his power, analogous to the rest of the contemporary signory in the Po Valley .

Taddeo also wanted to prevent any ecclesiastical claims to power, which is why he had the powers conferred by the Consiglio on Bertrand du Pouget in 1327 expressly revoked by a decree. Pope Benedict XII. met this new situation with severity and threatened an interdict if the legate was not given back authority. Taddeo decided not to give in to the pressure and so the Pope imposed the interdict on the city and the university in March 1338.

Thereupon the teachers and students of the economically very important University of Bologna decided to leave. However, Taddeo was able to persuade some respected professors and students to move only to Castel San Pietro , which was under the rule of Bologna as a place in the surrounding area, but was not affected by the interdict.

Only after lengthy diplomatic negotiations was a solution acceptable to both parties found in the summer of 1340: the citizens swore their oath of allegiance to the church, and Taddeo became the new papal vicar. So the Pope could continue to regard Bologna as a separate territory and Taddeo now had the legitimation of his power on the part of the Church. After the interdict was lifted, many members of the university returned to the city.

Once his power was consolidated, Taddeo could concentrate on reshaping the legislative bodies as he wished. The political organs of the city either met only in exceptional situations or their power was severely curtailed and were under constant control by the Signor. The election of the city officials continued to be the responsibility of large council meetings, but here too Taddeo intervened in his unpleasant decisions. The most important institutional introduction was now the Curia domini , which consisted mainly of notaries and whose basic task was the drafting of the Signor's decrees.

Death and end of the Signoria

Tomb of Taddeo in the Basilica di San Domenico .

Taddeo Pepoli died on September 28 or September 29, 1347. After his death, the Consiglio del Popolo was called to an extraordinary meeting to decide the succession of the rule by the sons of Taddeo, Giacomo and Giovanni. Taddeo himself had not chosen a successor. He left his heirs an uncertain political situation, since shortly before his death he had made an important agreement with Luchino Visconti , Signor of Milan . It was a temporary military alliance that interwoven the fate of the city with Milan: in fact, three years later, the sons of Taddeo ceded rulership over Bologna to the Visconti for money .

Historical evaluation

It was easier for Taddeo to build up a good reputation than his father, because his wealth growth through usury was not so noticeable due to his inheritance, which was already enormous through inheritance. In this way he managed to be perceived more as a lawyer and politician than as a banker. In historiography, Taddeo's rule is judged very leniently - especially by authors from Bologna. In domestic politics in particular, it actually gave Bologna a relatively quiet period in an era that was otherwise characterized by persistent violent conflicts, institutional instability and great political tensions. The reasons for this lay in the reputation of the ruler through his university education and his effective cultural policy, but also in his administrative and diplomatic skills and the careful management of public order. In doing so, he did without repressive excesses, as they were otherwise common in signories of this time. Taddeo handled oppositional forces wisely, some of which he even allowed to return from exile.

In terms of foreign policy, the city went through politically and militarily uncertain times: in the first years of the Signoria the city was threatened by the expansion policy of the Scaliger , after 1340 by that of the Visconti. In response, the already intense urban relations with Florence were strengthened, also through the personal collaboration between Taddeo and the titular Duke of Athens Walter VI. from Brienne and the Este. However, despite the wisdom and prudence shown by Taddeo repeatedly, it cannot be said that Bologna's position in the diplomatic chess game has been strengthened over the past decade. In the long run, the close bond with Walter IV of Brienne was even counterproductive for the relationship between Bologna and Florence.

The years of Taddeo Pepoli were not a brilliant era for the city either economically: trade and goods production stagnated, agricultural production was repeatedly hit by severe crises. However, it is very difficult to assess what impact Taddeo's policies could have had on these adverse external factors.

literature

• Massimo Giansante:  Pepoli, Taddeo. In: Raffaele Romanelli (ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 82:  Pazzi-Pia. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 2015. Alternatively, the Giansante manuscript on Academia.edu (Italian).
• Guido Antonioli: Taddeo Pepoli tra patrimonio familiare e ambizioni politiche . In: Deputazione di Storia Patria per le Provincie di Romagna (ed.): Atti e Memorie della Deputazione Bolognese di Storia Patria . tape 52 , 2001, ISSN  0393-7240 , p. 291–316 (Italian, manuscript online at Reti Medievali Open Archive (PDF; 91 kB)).
• Heinrich Leo : History of the Italian states: Fourth part. From the year 1268-1492. Perthes, Gotha 1830, p. 477–486 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
• Karl Dietrich Hüllmann : Urban Affairs of the Middle Ages, Volume 3 . Adolph Marcus, Bonn 1828, p. 395–403 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
• Johann Christian von Stramberg : Pepoli . In: Johann Samuelersch, Johann Gottfried Gruber (Hrsg.): General Encyclopedia of Sciences and Arts in alphabetical order . Third Section O - Z., No. 15 . FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1841, p. 148–150 ( limited preview in Google Book search).

Remarks

1. ↑ According to Antonioli, he was born between 1285 and 1290, according to Giansante around 1290.
2. ↑ This Bornio Samaritani comes from an old and politically influential family. With him, Romeo Pepoli had led an uprising in Bologna in 1306, which shifted the balance of power in the city significantly in favor of the extreme Guelfs.
3. ↑ Società d'Armi were militia associations that were founded for mutual protection and later also for the defense of the city and which were organized along the lines of guilds and guilds. They had political participation and could send representatives to political committees. Around 1248 there were 24 Società d'Armi in Bologna. By joining, people could have a say in politics who were not represented in one of the 20 influential guilds or guilds because of their profession. The Pepoli family was able to exert their influence here and there.
4. ↑ The Consiglio del Popolo was a legislative body whose members were made up of representatives of the guilds and guilds as well as the Società d'Armi .
5. ↑ The Castello di Galliera was the fortress-like city palace that Bertrand du Pouget had built in Bologna 1330–1332, roughly where the Parco della Montagnola is today. In their revolt against the legate in 1334, the citizens of Bologna destroyed the palace.
6. ↑ The date of September 28th is probably the more likely as it appears in the more recent literature. However, the modern sources usually do not give a more specific date of death than September 1347 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Nikolai Wandruszka: Un viaggio nel passato europeo: gli antenati del Marchese Antonio Amorini Bolognini e sua moglie, la Contessa Marianna Ranuzzi. (PDF; 319 kB) Pepoli. In: wandruszka-genealogie.eu. July 31, 2016, p. 9 , accessed August 27, 2017 . 
2. ↑ See Stramberg, p. 150.