The pope, willingly or unwillingly, accorded his approval to Rienzi's deeds. The provincial cities did homage to Rome and her tribune, and almost all the rest of Italy gave him its enthusi astic adherence. Great men like Petrarch were transported with joy. But on the convocation of a national parliament few repre sentatives obeyed the summons and the scheme was a failure. Nevertheless, on Aug. i 5, Rienzi caused himself to be crowned tribune with great pomp, and confirmed the rights of Roman citizenship to all natives of Italy. The nobles remained steadily hostile; conflict was unavoidable. At first Rienzi succeeded in vanquishing the Gaetani by means of John Colonna; he next en deavoured to suppress the Guelph and Ghibelline factions, and to restore Italy to "holy union." The pope, however, was weary of toleration, and, coming to terms with the nobles, incited them to war. A battle took place in which 8o nobles, chiefly of the Colonna clan, were left dead; the aristocracy never again achieved the rule of the republic. Rienzi's head was turned by this sudden success, and in his great need of money he began to play the tyrant by levying taxes and exacting instant obedience. The papal legate saw his opportunity and seized it, by threatening to bring a charge of heresy against the tribune. Rienzi was dismayed. He declared himself friendly to the pope and willing to respect his authority; and he even sought to conciliate the nobles. At this moment certain Neapol itan and Hungarian captains, after levying soldiers with the trib une's consent, joined the nobles and broke out in revolt. On their proving victorious in a preliminary encounter with some of Rien zi's guards, the tribune suddenly lost heart, resigned the power he had held for seven months, and fled to Naples.
Meanwhile the Romans remained tranquil, intent on making money by the jubilee; but no sooner was this over than disorders broke out and the tyranny of the baronage recommenced. To remedy this state of things, application was made to the pope. He consulted with a committee of cardinals, who sought the advice of Petrarch, and the poet suggested a popular government, to the complete exclusion of the nobles, since these, he said, were strangers who ruined the city. The people had already elected the Thirteen, and now, encouraged by these counsels, on Dec. 26, 1351, chose John Perrone as head of the commune. But the new leader was unable to withstand the hostilities of the nobles; and in Sept. 1353 Francis Baroncelli was elected tribune. He was a follower of Rienzi, and did little beyond imitating his mode of government and smoothing the way for his return.
Rienzi, after various adventures, was at Avignon in confine ment. Innocent VI. (1352-62) decided to send Cardinal Albornoz to Italy, in order to bring the State into subjection to the Church; and he further decided that Rienzi should accompany him to give him the support of his own popularity in Rome. In fact, directly the pair arrived Baroncelli was overthrown, the supremacy of the senate granted to the pope, and the government confided to Albornoz, who, without concerning himself with Rienzi, nominated a senator. Rienzi, profiting by his prestige and the apparent
favour of the pope, was able to collect a band of soo soldiers of mixed nationalities and on Aug. a, 1354, took possession of the government. But his money ran short. and he resorted to violence to fill his purse. The result was a sudden revolt on Oct. 8, when the people stormed the capitol with cries of "Death to the traitor." Rienzi was killed.
Foreign Senators and the Banderesi.—Rome submitted to the pontiff, and the pope, instead of two senators, hastened to name a single one of foreign birth. This was a shrewd device of Albornoz and another blow to the nobles, with whom he was still at war. Thus was inaugurated, in 1358, a series of foreign senators, fulfilling the functions of a podesta, and changed every six months together with their staff of judges, notaries, and knights. The people approved of this reform as being inimical to the nobles and favourable to the preservation of liberty.
Hitherto the senators had been assisted, or rather kept in check, by the 13 representatives of the regions. In 136o these were re placed by seven reformers, who soon became the veritable chiefs of the republic and were elected by ballot every three months. and the nobles, already shut out from power, were also excluded from the militia, which had been reorganized on the democratic system. Three thousand men, mostly archers, were enrolled under the command of two banderesi, with four antepositi, or lieuten ants, constituting a supreme council of war. And the whole body was styled the "Felix societas balestrariorum et pavesatorum." It was instituted to support the reformers and re-establish order in the city and Campagna, to keep down the nobles and defend the republic. It fulfilled these duties with much severity. Bander esi and antepositi had seats in the special council beside those of the reformers, the gonfaloniers of the companies were seated beside the priors. Later these officials constituted the so-called signoria dei banderesi. When in 1362 the nobles made a riot in Rome, the banderesi drove them all from the city. The fight became so furious that all Rome was in arms, and even mercen aries were hired. Finally renewed submission was made to the pope.
On the death of Innocent VI. in 1362, an agreement was con cluded with his successor, Urban V. (1362-7o), who was obliged to give his sanction to the government of the reformers and banderesi. And then, Albornoz being recalled in disgrace to Avignon and afterwards sent as legate to Naples, these Roman magistrates were able, with or without the co-operation of the foreign senator, to rule in their own way. They did justice to the nobles by hanging a few more; and they defended the city from the threatening attacks of the mercenaries, who had become Italy's worst foes. It was at this period that the Roman statutes were revised and rearranged in the compilation which has come down to us supplemented by alterations of a later date.