RIENZI, COLA DI (c. 1313-1354), tribune of the Roman people, was born in Rome, the son of a tavern-keeper named Lorenzo Gabrini. His father's Christian name was shortened to Rienzo, and his own, Nicholas, to Cola; hence the Cola di Rienzi, or Rienzo, by which he is generally known. His early years were passed at Anagni. The study of the Latin writers, historians, ora tors and poets filled his mind with stories of the glories and the power of ancient Rome, and he dreamed of restoring his native city to its pristine greatness. His zeal was quickened by the desire to avenge his brother, who had been killed by a noble. Rienzi 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 won the favour and esteem of the pope, who gave him an official position at his court. Returning to Rome about April 1344 he gathered a band of supporters, plans were drawn up, and at length all was ready for the rising. On May 19, heralds invited the people to a parliament on the Capitol, and on the loth, Whit-Sunday, the meeting took place. Dressed in full armour and attended by the papal vicar, Cola headed a pro cession to the Capitol; here he addressed the assembled crowd on "the servitude and redemption of Rome." A new series of laws were adopted by acclamation, and unlimited authority was given to the author of the revolution. The nobles left the city or went into hiding, and a few days later Rienzi took the title of tribune (Nicliolaus, severus et clemens, libertatis, pacis justiciaeque tri bunus, et sacre Romane Reipublice liberator).
The new ruler governed the city with a stern justice, in marked contrast to the recent reign of licence. The tribune moved through the streets of Rome in state, being received at St. Peter's with the hymn Veni Creator spiritus. Petrarch wrote to him, urging him to continue his great and noble work, and called him the new Camillus, Brutus and Romulus. 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 to restore the authority of Rome over the cities and provinces of Italy, to make the city again caput mundi. He invited the cities of Italy to send repre sentatives to an assembly to meet on Aug. 1, when the formation of a great federation under the headship of Rome would be con sidered. On the appointed day representatives appeared, and after elaborate and fantastic ceremonial Rienzi, as dictator, issued an edict citing the emperor Charles IV., 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. On the following day the festival of the unity of Italy was celebrated.
Rienzi's power was recognized in Naples, whence both Queen Joanna and her bitter foe, King Louis of Hungary, appealed to him for protection. On Aug. 15 he was installed tribune with great pomp, wreaths of flowers being placed on his head. Gregoro vius 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." Rienzi then seized, but soon released, Stephen Colonna and other barons who had spoken disparagingly of him. But his power was waning. His extravagant pretensions excited ridicule. His government was costly, and he was obliged to lay heavy taxes upon the people. He offended both pope and emperor by his proposal to set up a new Roman empire, resting directly upon the will of the people. In October Clement gave power to a legate to depose him and bring him to trial. The exiled barons gathered some troops, and war began. Rienzi obtained aid from Louis of Hungary and others, and on Nov. 20 his forces defeated the nobles in a battle out side the gates of Rome, where Rienzi's most distinguished foe, Stephen Colonna, was killed. But this victory did not save him. He passed his time in feasts 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 Dec. 15, he abdicated and fled from Rome. He sought refuge in Naples, but soon left that city and spent over two years in a mountain monastery.
Emerging from his solitude Rienzi journeyed to Prague, which he reached in July 135o, 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 espe cially Rome, from their oppressors; but Charles kept him in prison for more than a year in the fortress of Raudnitz, and then handed him over to Clement. At Avignon, where he appeared in August 1352, Rienzi was tried by three cardinals, and was sen tenced to death, but this judgment was not carried out, and he remained in prison. In December 1352 Clement died, and his suc cessor, Innocent VI., anxious to strike a blow at the baronial rulers of Rome, pardoned and released his prisoner. Giving him the title of senator, he sent him to Italy with the legate, Cardinal Albornoz, and Rienzi, with a few mercenaries, entered Rome in August 1354. He was received with great rejoicing, and regained his former position. A tumult broke out on Oct. 8. Rienzi at tempted to address the mob, but the building in which he stood was fired, and while trying to escape in disguise he was murdered. In 1887 a statue of the tribune was erected at the foot of the Capitoline hill in Rome.
Rienzi's life and fate have formed the subject of a famous novel by Bulwer Lytton, of an opera by Wagner and of a tragedy by Julius Mosen. His letters, edited by A. Gabrielli, are published in vol. vi. of the Fonti per la store d'Italia (Rome, 189o). See also Papencordt, Cola di Rienzo and seine Zeit (Hamburg, 1841) ; Auriac, Etude historique sur N. Rienzi (Amiens, 1885) ; E. Rodocanachi, Cola di Rienzi (Paris, 1888) ; Kuhn, Die Entwickelung der Bfindnisplane Cola di Rienzos im Jahre 1347 (Berlin, 1905) ; A. von Reumont, Geschichte der Stadt Rom (1867-7o) ; and F. Gregorovius, Geschichte der Stadt Rom im Mittelalter, vol. vi. (Eng. trans., by A. Hamilton, 1898)