Cerchi
Encyclopedia
The Florentine banking family of the Cerchi, minor nobles of the Valdarno
, with a seat especially at Acone near Pontassieve
, settled in Florence
in the early thirteenth century and increased their fortunes. The family became the heads of a consortium of the prominent Guelfs that securely controlled Florence after the battle of Benevento
in 1266. In Florence, the Cerchi purchased some of the ancient structures in the closely packed inner city formerly belonging to the counts Guidi, cheek-by-jowl with the proud Florentine family of the Donati
, with whom their growing mutual antagonism was expressed in violent episodes that polarized Florence within a couple of decades in a virtual civil war that aligned behind two captains, Corso Donati
of the Neri Guelf faction— the "Black" Guelfs of the old noble oligarchy— and Vieri de' Cerchi of the Bianchi, the moderate party that represented itself as champions of working people (the magri). The resulting violence lasted, with irruptions of tranquility, into the fourteenth century.
In 1289 a plot had been intercepted at Arezzo, by which the city's bishop agreed to give over to the Florentines Bibbiena Civitella, and all the villages of his see, in return for a life annuity of 5,000 golden florins a year, guaranteed by the bank of the Cerchi. These rumors led to the confrontation of Guelfs and Ghibellines at the Battle of Campaldino
, 11 June 1289, in which the young Dante Alighieri
took part and Viero dei Cerchi lost his life.
In the popular uprising of 2 May 1299, the podestà
Corso Donati was expelled, and with him the Donati faction. The Cerchi faction prevailed. In May the following year a brawl between Donati and Cerchi erupted, in which one of the Cerchi had his nose slit, but plots to restore Donati, who had become podestà of Orvieto, were unsuccessful. Matters were complicated when Pope Boniface VIII
sent Carlo, the Valois king of Naples to restore peace between Bianchi and Neri. He favoured the Neri: Dante, who had married Gemma Donati, was among those Bianchi dispossessed and banished in 1302, and marked Boniface as destined for the eighth circle of Hell in his Inferno.
In Florence, the house of the Alighieri was a few hundred paces from the cluster of tower houses of the Cerchi, which were restructured in the fourteenth century to form a rambling Palazzo dei Cerchi in the isolated block (insula) fronting via dei Cimatori and via della Condotta behind Piazza della Signoria
. This was the power center of the Cerchi: their church was the little Santa Margherita dei Cerchi of which the arms of the patrons, Cerchi, Adinari and Donati, may still be seen on its thirteenth-century doorway. This was the church of Dante's Beatrice Portinari
.
The Palazzo, now renovated, has been the home of the study abroad program for Kent State University
since 2003.
Another palazzo dei Cerchi, facing into Piazza di Santa Croce, was entirely rebuilt in the seventeenth century as the Palazzo dell'Antella.
The public charity and personal piety of Blessed Umiliana de' Cerchi (c. 1219-19 May 1246) became the object of a popular cult in Florence immediately after her death; it resulted in her beatification
in 1634.
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, with a seat especially at Acone near Pontassieve
Pontassieve
Pontassieve is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 14 km east of Florence, nearby Fiesole, at the confluence of the Arno and Sieve rivers.-History:...
, settled in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in the early thirteenth century and increased their fortunes. The family became the heads of a consortium of the prominent Guelfs that securely controlled Florence after the battle of Benevento
Battle of Benevento
The Battle of Benevento was fought near Benevento, in present-day Southern Italy, on February 26, 1266, between the troops of Charles of Anjou and Manfred of Sicily. Manfred's defeat and death resulted in the capture of the Kingdom of Sicily by Charles....
in 1266. In Florence, the Cerchi purchased some of the ancient structures in the closely packed inner city formerly belonging to the counts Guidi, cheek-by-jowl with the proud Florentine family of the Donati
Donati
Donati is a surname, and may refer to:*Angelo Donati , Italian banker and philanthropist*Baldassare Donati , Italian composer of the late Renaissance*Buoso Donati , character in Dante's Divine Comedy...
, with whom their growing mutual antagonism was expressed in violent episodes that polarized Florence within a couple of decades in a virtual civil war that aligned behind two captains, Corso Donati
Corso Donati
Corso Donati was a leader of the Black Guelph faction in 13th- and early 14th- century Florence.-Bologna and Pistoia:In the late thirteenth century, power in Florence and the other Tuscan cities was divided between the Podestà, an outsider who served as chief magistrate, and the guildmasters; Corso...
of the Neri Guelf faction— the "Black" Guelfs of the old noble oligarchy— and Vieri de' Cerchi of the Bianchi, the moderate party that represented itself as champions of working people (the magri). The resulting violence lasted, with irruptions of tranquility, into the fourteenth century.
In 1289 a plot had been intercepted at Arezzo, by which the city's bishop agreed to give over to the Florentines Bibbiena Civitella, and all the villages of his see, in return for a life annuity of 5,000 golden florins a year, guaranteed by the bank of the Cerchi. These rumors led to the confrontation of Guelfs and Ghibellines at the Battle of Campaldino
Battle of Campaldino
The Battle of Campaldino was a battle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines on 11 June 1289. Mixed bands of pro-papal Guelf forces of Florence and allies, Pistoia, Lucca, Siena and Prato, all loosely commanded by the paid condottiero Amerigo di Narbona with his own professional following, met a...
, 11 June 1289, in which the young Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
took part and Viero dei Cerchi lost his life.
In the popular uprising of 2 May 1299, the podestà
Podestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
Corso Donati was expelled, and with him the Donati faction. The Cerchi faction prevailed. In May the following year a brawl between Donati and Cerchi erupted, in which one of the Cerchi had his nose slit, but plots to restore Donati, who had become podestà of Orvieto, were unsuccessful. Matters were complicated when Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII
Pope Boniface VIII , born Benedetto Gaetani, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1294 to 1303. Today, Boniface VIII is probably best remembered for his feuds with Dante, who placed him in the Eighth circle of Hell in his Divina Commedia, among the Simonists.- Biography :Gaetani was born in 1235 in...
sent Carlo, the Valois king of Naples to restore peace between Bianchi and Neri. He favoured the Neri: Dante, who had married Gemma Donati, was among those Bianchi dispossessed and banished in 1302, and marked Boniface as destined for the eighth circle of Hell in his Inferno.
In Florence, the house of the Alighieri was a few hundred paces from the cluster of tower houses of the Cerchi, which were restructured in the fourteenth century to form a rambling Palazzo dei Cerchi in the isolated block (insula) fronting via dei Cimatori and via della Condotta behind Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio....
. This was the power center of the Cerchi: their church was the little Santa Margherita dei Cerchi of which the arms of the patrons, Cerchi, Adinari and Donati, may still be seen on its thirteenth-century doorway. This was the church of Dante's Beatrice Portinari
Beatrice Portinari
Beatrice "Bice" di Folco Portinari was a Florentine woman known as the muse of the poet Dante Alighieri. Beatrice was the principal inspiration for Dante's Vita Nuova, and also appears as his guide in the Divine Comedy in the last book, Paradiso, and in the last four canti of Purgatorio...
.
The Palazzo, now renovated, has been the home of the study abroad program for Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
since 2003.
Another palazzo dei Cerchi, facing into Piazza di Santa Croce, was entirely rebuilt in the seventeenth century as the Palazzo dell'Antella.
The public charity and personal piety of Blessed Umiliana de' Cerchi (c. 1219-19 May 1246) became the object of a popular cult in Florence immediately after her death; it resulted in her beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
in 1634.
External links
- (Alessandra Meyer), " Conservazione deele città toscane": Plan of Palazzo Cerchi
- Storia di Firenze: secolo XIII A timeline of events
- Italian Wikipedia: "Umiliana de' Cerchi"