Ii Imperial Period

When, on the expiration of his three years' term of office, Brancaleone's re-election was proposed, his enemies rose against him, accused him, threw him into prison, and vehemently pro tested against the continuance of "foreign tyranny." His life was spared only on account of the hostages sent to Bologna. The next senator chosen was a Brescian Guelph, Emanuele de Madio, a tool of the nobles, who were masters of the situation. But soon afterwards, in 1257, the people rose in revolt, drove the nobles from power, put the pope to flight, and recalled Brancaleone for another three years' term. He ruled more sternly than before, hung several nobles, and made alliance with Manfred, the repre sentative of the Swabian party in Italy. This rendered him in creasingly odious to the pope and procured his excommunication. But, disregarding the thunders of the Church, he marched against Anagni, the pope's birthplace, and Alexander was quickly obliged to humiliate himself before the senator of Rome. Brancaleone next set to work to destroy the fortified towers of the nobility, and in razing them to the ground ruined many of the adjacent dwellings. In 1258 Brancaleone died. Thus ended the career of a truly remarkable statesman. He was succeeded by his uncle, Castellano degli Andalo, who only retained office until the follow ing spring (1259). Then the people, being bribed by the pope, joined with the nobles and overthrew him. His life too was saved by having followed his nephew's shrewd plan of sending hostages to Bologna. Two senators of Roman birth were next elected.

Charles of Anjou Senator.

At this period the fall of the empire had induced many Italian republics to seek strength by placing their governments in the hands of some prince willing to swear respect for their laws and to undertake their defence. In Rome the Guelphs and Ghibellines proposed various candi dates for this office, and after many fierce quarrels ended by electing a committee of boni homines, charged with the revision of the statutes, reorganization of the city, and choice of a senator. This committee sat for more than a year without nomi nating anyone ; then, the Guelph party being predominant, the majority agreed on the election as senator of Charles of Anjou who after a long delay became senator, but held office for less than a year. Two Romans were elected in his stead, but soon fell out with the pope, because the Guelph nobles again tried to exercise tyranny. The people, however, profited by these dis turbances to rise on their own account, and formed a democratic government of 26 boni homines with Angelo Capocci, a Ghibelline, as its captain. By this government Don Henry, son of Ferdinand III., of Castile, was elected senator (1267). The rule of the new senator was very energetic, for he kept down the clergy, subdued the Campagna, persecuted the Guelph nobles, made alliance with the Tuscan Ghibellines, forcibly drove back the troops of King Charles, who was advancing towards Rome, and gave a splendid reception to Conradin. But the battle of Tagliacozzo (Aug. 23, 1268), followed by the murder of Conradin, proved fatal to the Ghibelline party. Charles was re-elected senator immediately after the battle, and the pope confirmed his powers for a term of ten years.

In 1278, the ten years' term having expired, the pope, after declaring that he left to the people the right of electing the senator, promulgated a new constitution (July 18, 1278), which, while confirming the rights of the Church over the city, prohibited the election of any foreign emperor, prince, marquis, count or baron as senator of Rome. 'Thus the Colonna, Savelli, Orsini,

Annibaldi and other Roman nobles again rose to power, and the republic was again endangered and plunged into disorder. The Romans then gave the reconstitution of the city into the pope's hands by yielding to him the right of nominating senators. So Nicholas proceeded to name senators, alternating a Colonna with an Orsini, or simultaneously choosing one of each faction. The same power over the senate was granted with the same restric tion to Martin IV. (1281-85), and he at once re-elected Charles of Anjou. Thus, greatly to the disgust of the Romans, the capitol was again invaded by French vicars, notaries, judges and soldiery. But the terrible blow dealt at Charles's power by the Sicilian Vespers (March 31, 1282) resounded even in Rome. The Orsini, backed by the people, rose in arms, massacred the French gar rison, and quickly re-established a popular government. John Cencio, a kinsman of the Orsini, was elected captain and defender of the people, and ruled the city with the co-operation of the senator and a council of priors of the gilds. This government was of brief duration, for, although the pope had professed his willing ness to tolerate experiment, he quickly arranged fresh terms, and, forsaking Charles of Anjou, again nominated two Roman senators. Pope and king both died in 1285, and Nicholas IV. (1288-92), also holding sway over the senate, favoured the Colonna in order to curb the growing mastery of the Orsini. But thus there were two powerful houses instead of one. In fact, John Colonna, when elected senator, ruled from the capitol as an independent sov ereign, conducted in person the campaign against Viterbo, and subjected that city to the republic on May 3, 1291.

Boniface VIII. (1294-1303) tried to reduce the power of the Colonna family and succeeded for a time in exercising more power in Rome than any of the recent popes. This was due largely to the Jubilee which brought thousands of pilgrims to Rome. The citizens wished to profit by the gold which the pilgrims brought and for that reason were ready to postpone their rivalries. Removal of the Popes to Avignon.—When the popes re moved to Avignon the city was left almost entirely to govern itself. There was the same strife between the "ins" and the "outs," who persisted in using the names Guelphs and Ghibellines, although these names had lost their old meaning since the fall of the Hohenstaufens. The commune employed its freedom in try ing to hold its own against the nobles, whose power was much lessened by the absence of the pope, and endeavoured to gain fresh strength by organizing the 13 regions. Accordingly, in 1305, a captain of the people was elected with 13 elders and a senator, Paganino della Torre, who governed for one year. The pope was opposed to these changes at first, but in 1310 he issued a brief granting Rome full permission to select its own form of govern ment. Thus, the first pope in Avignon restored the rights of the Romans. The latter still considered Rome the Eternal City, the source of all law, and the only natural seat of the spiritual and temporal government of the world. To their republic, they thought, appertained a new and lofty destiny. In 1312, in spite of the opposition of the nobles, they insisted upon the corona tion of the emperor Henry VII. In the same year, after a brief interval of rule by the nobles, the popular party again got the upper hand, only to be overthrown the following year.