Cola di Rienzo or di Rienzi (c. 1313 – October 8, 1354) was an Italian medieval politician and popular leader, tribune of the Roman people in the mid-14th century. Events Siege of Rostock ends Foundation year of the Order of the Rose Cross (Rosicrucian Order), according to the Rosicrucian Fellowship. ... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (282nd in leap years). ... Events End of reign of John VI Cantacuzenus, as Byzantine emperor. ...

Statue of Cola Di Rienzo by Girolamo Masini, located near the Campidoglio, where he was killed.

Download high resolution version (566x849, 290 KB)photo by Einar Einarsson Kvaran Cola di Rienzi File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (566x849, 290 KB)photo by Einar Einarsson Kvaran Cola di Rienzi File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Cola di Rienzi, Rome, 1877 Girolamo Masini (Florence December 29, 1840– florence 1885) was an Italian sculptor, born in Florence, Tuscany, where he studied with Florentine sculptor Aristodemo Costoli. ...

Biography

Early career

He was born in Rome, being the son of a tavern-keeper named Lorenzo Gabrini. His father's Christian name was shortened to Rienzo, and his own, Nicola, to Cola; hence the Cola di Rienzo, or Rienzi, by which he is generally known. Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5...

His early years were passed at Anagni. Having devoted much time to the study of the Latin writers, historians, orators and poets, and nourished his mind with stories of the glories and the power of ancient Rome, he turned his thoughts to the task of restoring his native city, then in degradation and wretchedness, not only to good order, but even to her pristine greatness, his zeal for this work being quickened by the desire to avenge his brother, who had been killed by a noble, a member of the ruling class. Anagni, (Latin Anagnia) is an ancient town in Latium, Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome, famous for its connections with the papacy and for the picturesque monuments of its unspoiled historical center. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ...

He became a notary and a person of some importance in the city, and was sent in 1343 on a public errand to Pope Clement VI at Avignon. He discharged his duties with ability and success, and although the boldness with which he denounced the aristocratic rulers of Rome drew down upon him the enmity of powerful men, he won the favour and esteem of the pope, who gave him an official position at his court. Events Magnus II of Sweden abdicates from the throne of Norway in favor of his son Haakon VI of Norway. ... Clement VI, né Pierre Roger (1291 – December 6, 1352), the fourth of the Avignon Popes, was elected in May 1342, and reigned until his death. ... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Région Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Département Vaucluse (préfecture) Arrondissement Avignon Canton Chief town of 4 cantons Intercommunality Communauté dagglomération du Grand Avignon Mayor Marie-Josée Roig...

Photo taken at the end of February 2007.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Leader of revolt

Returning to Rome about April 1344 he worked for three years at the great object of his life, the restoration of the city to its former position of power. He gathered together a band of supporters, plans were drawn up, and at length all was ready for the insurrection. Events English king Edward III introduces three new gold coins, the florin. ...

On May 19, 1347 heralds invited the people to a parliament on the Capitol, and on May 20, the day being Whit-Sunday, the meeting took place. Dressed in full armour and attended by the papal vicar, Cola headed a procession to the Capitol; here he addressed the assembled crowd, speaking "with fascinating eloquence of the servitude and redemption of Rome." A new series of laws was published and accepted with acclaim, and unlimited authority and power was given to the author of the revolution. May 19 is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ... The Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus Mons), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the most famous and smallest of the seven hills of Rome. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Without striking a blow the nobles left the city or went into hiding, and a few days later Rienzo took the title of tribune (Nicholaus, severus et clemens, libertatis, pacis justiciaeque tribunus, et sacre Romane Reipublice liberator).

Tribune of Rome

His authority quickly and quietly accepted by all classes, the new ruler governed the city with a stern justice which was in marked contrast to the recent reign of licence and disorder. In great state the tribune moved through the streets of Rome, being received at St Peter's with the hymn Veni Creator spiritus, while in a letter the poet Petrarch urged him to continue his great and noble work, and congratulated him on his past achievements, calling him the new Camillus, Brutus and Romulus. All the nobles submitted, though with great reluctance; the roads were cleared of robbers; tranquillity was restored at home; some severe examples of justice intimidated offenders; and the tribune was regarded by all the people as the destined restorer of Rome and Italy. From the c. ... Marcus Furius Camillus (circa 446- 365 BC) was a Roman soldier and statesman of patrician descent. ... Lucius Iunius Brutus Lucius Junius Brutus was the founder of the Roman Republic and traditionally one of the first Consuls in 509 BC. Prior to the establishment of the Roman Republic, Rome had been ruled by kings. ... This page describes the ancient heroes who founded the city of Rome. ...

Attempt to unify Italy

In July in a sonorous decree he proclaimed the sovereignty of the Roman people over the empire, but before this he had set to work upon his task of restoring the authority of Rome over the cities and provinces of Italy, of making the city again caput mundi. He wrote letters to the cities of Italy, asking them to send representatives to an assembly which would meet on the August 1, when the formation of a great federation under the headship of Rome would be considered. On the appointed day a number of representatives appeared, and after some elaborate and fantastic ceremonials Cola, as dictator, issued an edict citing Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor and his rival Charles, afterwards Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and also the imperial electors and all others concerned in the dispute, to appear before him in order that he might pronounce judgment in the case. August 1 is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Emperor Louis IV Louis IV of Bavaria (also known as Ludwig the Bavarian) of the House of Wittelsbach (born 1282; died October 11, 1347) was duke of Bavaria from 1294/1301 together with his brother Rudolf I, also count of the Palatinate until 1329 and, German king since 1314 and... Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. ...

On the following day the festival of the unity of Italy was celebrated, but neither this nor the previous meeting had any practical result. Cola's power, however, was recognized in the Kingdom of Naples, whence both Joan I of Naples and her bitter foe, Louis I of Hungary, appealed to him for protection and aid, and on August 15 he was crowned tribune with great pomp, wreaths of flowers being placed on his head. Ferdinand Gregorovius says this ceremony "was the fantastic caricature in which ended the imperium of Charles the Great. A world where political action was represented in such guise was ripe for overthrow, or could only be saved by a great mental reformation." The Kingdom of Naples was born out of the division of the Kingdom of Sicily after the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. ... Queen Joan I (1327 – May 12, 1382) was born Joanna of Anjou. ... Louis the Great. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... Ferdinand Gregorovius (January 19, 1821–May 1, 1891) was a German historian who specialized in the medieval history of Rome. ... A portrait of Charlemagne by Albrecht Dürer that was painted several centuries after Charlemagnes death. ...

End of rule

He then seized, but soon released, Stefano Colonna and some other barons who had spoken disparagingly of him. But his power was already beginning to wane, as this sudden exaltation intoxicated his understanding, and exhibited feelings entirely incompatible with his elevated condition. Stefano Colonna was the name of several members of the Italian family of Colonna. ...

Cola di Rienzo's character has been described as a combination of knowledge, eloquence, and enthusiasm for ideal excellence, with vanity, inexperience of mankind, unsteadiness, and physical timidity. As these latter qualities became conspicuous, they eclipsed his virtues, and caused his benefits to be forgotten. His extravagant pretensions only served to excite ridicule. His government was costly, and to meet its many expenses he was obliged to lay heavy taxes upon the people. He offended the pope by his arrogance and pride, and both pope and emperor by his proposal to set up a new Roman Empire, the sovereignty of which would rest directly upon the will of the people. In October Clement gave power to a legate to depose him and bring him to trial, and the end was obviously in sight. Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ...

Taking heart, the exiled barons gathered together some troops, and war began in the neighbourhood of Rome. Cola di Rienzo obtained aid from Louis of Hungary and others, and November 20 his forces defeated the nobles in a battle just outside the Porta Tiburtina, a battle in which the tribune himself took no part, but in which his most distinguished foe, Stefano Colonna, was killed. November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Porta Tiburtina today, view from outside the Aurelian Walls. ... Stefano Colonna was the name of several members of the Italian family of Colonna. ...

But this victory did not save him. He passed his time in feats and pageants, while in a bull the pope denounced him as a criminal, a pagan and a heretic, until, terrified by a slight disturbance on December 15, he abdicated his government and fled from Rome. He sought refuge in Naples, but soon he left that city and spent over two years in an Italian mountain monastery. December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Life in captivity

Emerging from his solitude Cola di Rienzo journeyed to Prague, which he reached in July 1350, and threw himself upon the protection of the emperor Charles IV. Denouncing the temporal power of the pope he implored the emperor to deliver Italy, and especially Rome, from their oppressors; but, heedless of his invitations, Charles kept him in prison for more than a year in the fortress of Raudnitz, and then handed him over to Clement, who had been clamouring for his surrender. Nickname: Motto: Praga Caput Rei publicae Location within the Czech Republic Coordinates: Country Czech Republic Region Capital City of Prague Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Pavel Bém Area  - City 496 km²  (191. ... Events 29 August - An English fleet personally commanded by King Edward III defeats a Spanish fleet in the battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer. ...

At Avignon, where he appeared in August 1352, Cola was tried by three cardinals, and was sentenced to death, but this judgment was not carried out, and he remained in prison in spite of appeals from Petrarch for his release. Events June 4 - Glarus joins the Swiss Confederation. ...

Freedom, however, was at hand. In December 1352 Clement died, and his successor, Pope Innocent VI, anxious to strike a blow at the baronial rulers of Rome, and seeing in the former tribune an excellent tool for this purpose, pardoned and released his prisoner. Innocent VI, né Étienne Aubert (1282 or 1295 – September 12, 1362), Pope at Avignon from 1352 to 1362, the successor of Pope Clement VI (1342–52), was a native of the hamlet of Les Monts, diocese of Limoges (today part of the commune of Beyssac, département of Corrèze...

Senator of Rome

Giving him the title of senator, he sent him to Italy with the legate, Cardinal Albornoz, and having collected a few mercenary troops on the way, Cola di Rienzo entered Rome in August 1354. He was received with great rejoicings and quickly regained his former position of power. Gil Alvarez De Albornoz, Spanish cardinal, was born at Cuenca early in the 14th century. ... Events End of reign of John VI Cantacuzenus, as Byzantine emperor. ...

But this latter term of office was destined to be even shorter than his former one had been. Having vainly besieged the fortress of Palestrina, he returned to Rome, where he treacherously seized the soldier of fortune, Fra Monreale, who was put to death, and where, by other cruel and arbitrary deeds, he soon lost the favour of the people.

Their passions were quickly aroused and a tumult broke out on October 8. Cola attempted to address them, but the building in which he stood was fired, and while trying to escape in disguise he was murdered by the mob. "The doors of the capitol", says Edward Gibbon, "were destroyed with axes and with fire; and while the senator attempted to escape in a plebeian garb, he was dragged to the platform of his palace, the fatal scene of his judgments and executions;" and after enduring the protracted tortures of suspense and insult, he was pierced with a thousand daggers, amidst the execrations of the people. October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (282nd in leap years). ... Edward Gibbon (1737–1794). ...

Legacy

Cola di Rienzo was the hero of one of the finest of Petrarch's odes, Spirito gentil, and also of some beautiful verses by George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron. He was a man of vivid, but disordered, imagination, without possessing any conception of statesmanship. Lord Byron, Anglo-Scottish poet George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (January 22, 1788–April 19, 1824) was an Anglo-Scottish poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. ...

In 1877 a statue of the tribune by Girolamo Masini, was erected at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in Rome. At Rome is still shown a curious old brick dwelling, distinguished by the appellation of "The House of Pilate", but also traditionally known as Cola di Rienzo's house (in fact it belonged to the patrician Crescenzi family). 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Cola di Rienzi, Rome, 1877 Girolamo Masini (Florence December 29, 1840– florence 1885) was an Italian sculptor, born in Florence, Tuscany, where he studied with Florentine sculptor Aristodemo Costoli. ... The Crescentii clan (in modern Italian Crescenzi), if in fact they were an extended family, essentially ruled Rome and controlled the Papacy from the middle of the 10th century to the unlucky, all but simultaneous death of their puppet pope Sergius IV and the patricius of the clan in 1012...

Cola di Rienzo's life and fate have formed the subject of a famous novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, the opera Rienzi by Richard Wagner and of a tragedy by Julius Mosen. His letters, edited by A. Gabrielli, are published in vol. vi. of the Fonti per la storia d’Italia (Rome, 1890). The Lord Lytton Novelist and politician Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (May 25, 1803–January 18, 1873) was an English novelist, playwright, and politician. ... Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen (Rienzi, the Last of the Tribunes) is an early opera by Richard Wagner in five acts, with the libretto written by the composer after Bulwer-Lyttons novel of the same name. ... Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Julius Mosen (1803-1867), German poet and author, was born at Marieney in the Saxon Vogtland on July 8, 1803. ...

References

• Ferdinand Gregorovius, Geschichte der Stadt Rom im Mittelalter.
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Ferdinand Gregorovius (January 19, 1821–May 1, 1891) was a German historian who specialized in the medieval history of Rome. ... Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

See also

• Popular revolt in late medieval Europe