Chronology

Chronology

From the birth of Francesco Ferrucci to the capitulation of Florence

14 August 1489 - Florence - Francesco Ferrucci's birth
Francesco Ferrucci was born in the family home near Ponte alla Carraia, of Niccolò and madonna Piera de’ Guiducci.
The news of the birth of the future hero of the Republic is contained in a document signed by his father Niccolò, in the “Libro di Ricordanze”, kept in Florence in the State Archive as part of the Carte Strozziane.
17 May 1527 - Florence - The Medicis are driven away
The Medicis, in Florence, had been represented since 1524-1525 by young Ippolito and Alessandro de’ Medici; the two teenagers were under the guardianship of the much-hated Cardinal of Cortona Silvio Passerini, de facto ruler of the city on behalf of the family. As early as 26 April 1527 (49th anniversary of the Congiura dei Pazzi during which Giuliano, father of Pope Clement VII, had died) a revolt had attempted to overthrow the regime (also known as “the Friday tumult”). News of the Sack of Rome by the Lanzichenecchi forces, and thus of the Pope’s forced imprisonment in Castel Sant’Angelo, reached Florence on 11 May. The anti-Medici faction took advantage of this situation, with the help of Filippo Strozzi (who had arrived in town on the 16th), in order to (peacefully) drive away the Medicis, as had already happened in 1494.
Alessandro and Ippolito left Tuscany; Caterina, on the other hand, stayed in town until the end of the siege. A Republican regime was thus restored, based on the one in force in 1494-1512, inspired by Savonarola’s ideals: the “last Florentine Republic” was thus inaugurated.
26 June 1529 - Barcelona - The Treaty of Barcelona
Rejecting the Treaty of Madrid (1526), the King of France Francis I inaugurated a new anti-Habsburg alliance, to which Pope Clement VII also adhered: the League of Cognac. The Sack of Rome (1527) and therefore the Pontiff’s defeat, as well as the victory of Charles V’s troops in Naples, also thanks to the change of sides by Andrea Doria (1528), completely changed the situation. Clement VII, at this point, thought it wiser to re-establish good relations with the Emperor, who – for his part – in view of the objective of restoring a “universal Chrstian monarchy” and of his intent of healing the religious wound caused by the Reformation – was willing to reach an agreement with the Pope. Charles V gave up the demand of reconvening a Council (an idea to which the Pope objected); he promised to help the Medicis reconquer Florence (offering as bride his biological daughter, Margaret of Austria, to Alessandro de’ Medici); Clement VII, for his part – was expected to accept and admit the Habsburg supremacy over Italy.
5 August 1529 - Cambrai - The Peace of the Ladies
A seguito di una serie di sconfitte militari e del Trattato di Barcellona, Francesco I decise di porre fine alle ostilità iniziate con la creazione della Lega di Cognac (1526). Le trattative di pace con l’avversario di sempre Carlo V furono gestite a Cambrai dalla madre del re di Francia, Luisa di Savoia, e dalla zia dell’imperatore, Margherita d’Austria (figlia di Massimiliano I e Maria di Borgogna). Carlo V riconobbe alla Francia condizioni più accettabili rispetto al precedente Trattato di Madrid (1526), mentre Francesco I, ritirandosi dal conflitto, abbandonò gli alleati italiani, inclusa la Repubblica di Firenze che di lì a poco sarebbe stata assediata.
12 August 1529 - Genoa - Charles V lands in Genoa
The Emperor, with his army, landed in Genoa shortly after the city had started to support him following the change of sides by Andrea Doria, now general Captain of the imperial fleet. Here he was reached by the ambassadors of the Florentine Republic, asking for the independence of their Republic to be acknowledged. Nevertheless, Charles V proved inflexible and did not wish to renege on the undertakings he had with Clement VII following the Treaty of Barcelona.
12 September 1529 - Perugia - The Prince d'Orange's troops enter Perugia
As part of the agreement between Clement VII and the Prince d’Orange, commander of the Imperial army, the latter was expected to bring back to obedience to the Pope the city of Perugia, whose ruler, Malatesta Baglioni, had been hired by the Florentine Republic. In August the Prince d’Orange negotiated with Baglioni that he would leave the city; in exchange the latter would keep the right to rule over the whole State of Perugia, the Pope’s pardon and the possibility of remaining at the service of the Florentine Republic. Baglioni accepted these conditions, signing the text of the agreement on the 10th of September; as a consequence, on the 12th, the Prince d’Orange was able to enter Perugia undisturbed, ready to head towards Florentine territory.
14 September 1529 - Cortona - The Imperial troops attack Cortona
Having given Baglioni a two-day advantage as a consequence of the Perugia agreement, the Prince d’Orange set off to attack Tuscan territory, specifically Cortona, in Valdichiana. The town, defended among other troops by those of Goro da Montebenichi, resisted for a few days with a fierce battle; the Florentine officers, however, decided to leave Cortona because they were unable to prolong its defence for too long. Cortona surrendered on the 17th.
19 September 1529 - Arezzo - The Florentine troops withdraw and Arezzo is conquered
Arezzo was defended by the Florentine General Commissioner Anton Francesco degli Albizi, aleader of two thousand men. In Florence, though, the Gonfalonier and Government bodies were divided as to what should be done: concentrate the troops in the city, to withstand a siege, or scatter them across the region and engage in an all-out battle? The orders that reached Albizi, through in part ambiguous, convinced him to withdraw, considering that Arezzo could not be defended int he event of an attack. Moreover the population would have been glad to get rid of the Florentines and welcome the Imperial forces with open arms. As a matter of fact, when the army of the Prince d’Orange entered Arezzo, the population offered him the keys to the city on a silver platter, taking advantage of the opportunity to declare independence and establish itself as a Republic. The few Florentines who were left took refuge in the fortress on the hill of San Donato, where they resisted for several months.
7 October 1529 - Prato - Francesco Ferrucci appointed Commissioner of Prato
On the 3rd of October, 1529 Francesco Ferrucci was appointed, following a suggestion by Donato Giannotti, Commissioner of Prato with an 800-men contingent. it was the first position he occupied which involved direct fighting. In Prato, Ferrucci dealt with the restoration and strengthening of defence structures; a few days later, however, we asked for – and was granted – authorisation to resign from the post due to incompatibility with the other Commissioner servign on site, Lorenzo Soderini (who, a few months later, was sentenced to hanging as a traitor).
14 October 1529 - Empoli - Francesco Ferrucci appointed Commissioner of Empoli
Francesco Ferrucci, who had asked and been authorised to resign as Commissioner of Prato, was immediately appointed (on the 13th of October) Commissioner of Empoli, a strategic community along the Pisa-florence route, which had been asking Florence, for several days, to send a man who could rise to the challenges on the horizon. Ferrucci, arrived in town on the 14th of October; he immediately started to tear down some of its boroughs to clear the area around the walls (as Florence had ordered), and start supplying the fortress with provisions intended for Florence. From here Ferrucci started a strategy based on waring the enemy out, destroying all mills in the area to make milling impossible, as well as raiding the surrounding countryside.
10 November 1529 - Florence - The Imperial forces attack the city walls
On the night between the 9th and 10th of November the Imperial-Papal army led by the Prince d’Orange, which had camped for about one month around the city of Florence (as shown by the beautiful painting by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano in the Clement VII Room in the Uffizi), decided to launch an attack. Taking advantage of a thunderstorm and of the darkness, the Prince d’Orange hoped to catch the Florentines by surprise and to place in the stretch of walls between the San Niccolò and San Frediano gates as many as 400 siege stairs. However, the guards on the camminatoi promptly warned of that danger: «the town, in one moment, was all up in arms» (according to the Venice amblassador) and the Prince d’Orange’s men, were confronted by artillery fire and forced to surrender.
10 November 1529 - San Miniato - Francesco Ferrucci conquers San Miniato
The village of San Miniato, between Empoli and Florence, had been conquered by Imperial troops on the night of 31 October. Having been informed that part of the enemy troops stationed in San Miniato had fled following the Emperor’s attack on Florence, Ferrucci decided to attack it with just under three hundred men. It was a quick battle (Ferrucci himself was one of the first to climb the walls and storm the citadel): the Imperial forces, defeated, had their lives spared and were able to flee the city, while the Florence Commissioner moved to Empoli leaving in San Miniato a contingent led by Goro da Montebenichi.
6 December 1529 - Lastra a Signa - The massacre in Lastra a Signa
On 6 December 1529 the people of Lastra a Signa, having run out of provisions after just two days of siege by the Imperial troops, reached an agreement with enemy commanders, granting a safe-conduct to defenders in exchange for their giving up the fortified centre. However, once the gates into Lastra a Signa had been opened, the Imperial forces broke the agreement and killed nearly all its two hundred defenders.
23, 25 December 1529 - Pistoia, Prato - The withdrawal of Florentine Republican troops from Pistoia and Prato
In December the Florence government planned to transfer the garrisons from Pistoia and Prato to the ruling city, to strengthen its defences. On 23 December, the Florentine forces stationed in Pistoia were transferred to Prato. At the same time, the Prato garrison left the city and set off toward Florence. Having been informed that there were no soldiers left in Prato – and unaware that those from Pistoia had arrived there – Count Lodovico Lodron attacked the city, but was rejected by Florentine troops (on 25 December). On the evenging of the 25th of december, the last forces in Prato left town and set off towards Florence.
26 January 1530 - Florence - The commander's rod is handed over to Malatesta Baglioni
Il 12 gennaio 1530 il governo fiorentino nominò Malatesta Baglioni “Capitano Generale di tutte le genti di detta Repubblica [di Firenze], tanto di piè quanto di cavallo” con una condotta di duecento uomini d’arme. Mercoledì 26 gennaio 1530, una volta terminata (e non rinnovata) la condotta di Ercole d’Este (precedente capitano generale della repubblica di Firenze), il governo fiorentino organizzò la cerimonia d’insediamento del Baglioni, che ricevette il bastone del comando dalle mani del gonfaloniere Raffaello Girolami.
1 February 1530 - Marradi - The troops of the Florentine Republic reconquer Marradi
On 15 January 1530, with an approximately six-thousand strong Imperial force, the inahbitants of Marradi revolted against Florence. At the end of the month, the Commissioner Lorenzo Carnesecchi decided that the time was ripe to bring Marradi back under Florentine control. In the night between 31 January and 1 February 1530, Carnesecchi launched an attack against Marradi with five hundred infantry men, defeating its defenders. Although the inhabitants of Marradi had rebelled against Florence, Carnesecchi acted with indulgence: only Cennino de’ Buosi paid with his life, while the other rebellious leaders had their houses burnt down.
17 February 1530 - Florence - Football match in Florence
On 17 February 1530, during the Carnival weeks, the Florentines organised a football match as mockery of the Imperial forces, pretending that the city was not under siege.
24 February 1530 - Bologna - Coronation of Charles V
On 24 February 1530, in the Basillica of San Petronio in Bologna, Pope Clement VII Medici crowned Charles V of Hapsburg Emperor, who only two days earlier had been chosen as King of Rome.
27 April 1530 - Volterra - Francesco Ferrucci reconquers Volterra
On 26 April 1530 Francesco Ferrucci left Empoli at the head of eleven batallions (four cavalry and seven infantry); he headed towards Volterra, the town that had revolted against Florence on 24 February the year before. In actual fact, the rebel forces controlled only the village, while the citadel remained in the hands of the Florentines, led by Commissioner Bartolomeo Tedaldi. After joining forces again with Tedaldi inside the citadel (on the evening of 26 April), Ferrucci’s armed forces became overwhelming in terms of numbers and attacked the Imperial positions. At the end of a harsh battle which forced the Florentines to win back enemy positions, one at a time, Ferrucci managed to take control of Volterra on the morning of 27 April, when the Imperial forces surrendered. The retaliation of Florentines against the rebels was particularly strong: many inhabitants of Volterra were sentenced to death. The victory, however, was short-lived because Ferrucci, in turn, was besieged in Volterra by the intervening Imperial forces led by Fabrizio Maramaldo.
5 May 1530 - Florence - The battle of Colombaia
Il 5 maggio 1530 Malatesta Baglioni tentò un attacco contro le truppe spagnole asserragliate nel convento di San Donato a Scopeto (appena fuori Firenze) per rompere lo schieramento dell’esercito imperiale. Il Baglioni impiegò ben trenta compagnie e due colonnelli – unità militari paragonabili a un contemporaneo reggimento. Nonostante l’iniziale successo dell’azione, i disperati contrattacchi lanciati per tutta la giornata dalle truppe imperiali riuscirono a contenere la spinta offensiva dei reparti guidati dal Baglioni, che batté in ritirata verso sera.
29 May 1530 - Empoli - The ransack of Empoli
On the morning of Sunday 29 May 1530 the Florentine Commissioner Piero Orlandini and the Imperial commander Alessandro Vitelli reached a surrender agreement in respect of Empoli, which had been besieged by Habsburg forces a few days earlier. If it conquered Empoli, Florence would no longer receive supplies from the West. The agreement stipulated that Empoli would not be ransacked. Orlandini thus ordered his soldiers to leave Empoli undefended and move to the main square. however, with the gates open and fortifications undefended by armed forces, the Imperial commanders were unable to restrain their soldiers, who launched an attack against Empoli and ransacked it.
20 June 1530 - Florence -The attack on the German camp of San Donato in Polverosa
On the night of 20 June 1530, Stefano Colonna, leading 4,500 men, attacked the Geerman soldiers’ camp near the church at San Donato in Polverosa. His aim was to open a communication route towards Pistoia, which had revolted against the Imperial forces, from where the Florentine government expected to get new provisions. The plan dradfted by Stefano Colonna was simple: supported in case of need by Florentine troops, Colonna would lead the main attack with two throusand men. Due to a deployment error of the reserve units, however, the German camp became aware of the imminent attack. Stefano Colonna decided to move ahead anymay. Initially, the action turned in favour of the Florentines, who entered the perimeter of the camp. The failure of Florentine reservists to arrive, and the Imperial forces arriving in support of the German camp, forced Colonna to stop fighting and retreat towards Florence.
3 August 1530 - Gavinana (San Marcello Piteglio) - The battle of Gavinana
On 3 August 1530 the aid expedition led by Francesco Ferrucci was intercepted and destroyed during the march from San Marcello to Gavinana. The leaders of the two armies did not survive until the end of the day. The Prince d’Orange, Filibert de Chalon, was killed by two bullets (one in the chest and one in the neck) during a cavalry charge against Florentine arquebusiers. Francesco Ferrucci was sentenced to death, as retaliation, by the warlord Fabrizio Maramaldo at the end of the battle, probably because he had the herald hung in Volterra on 15 May 1530.
12 August 1530 - Florence - The capitulation of Florence
On 12 August 1530 representatives of the Florentine government signed the surrender treaty of their Republic in the church of Santa Margherita a Montici (Florence). The clauses of the treaty, apart from the payment of 80,000 scudi as war damages, stipulated that Florence would remain independent, but Emperor Charles V would be entitled to establish its future constitutional form.
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