Day: April 25, 2025

Sienese aristocrats at coucil (detail) - Niccolò di Giovanni Ventura (1443), La Sconfitta di Monte Aperto, ms. A.IV.5, Biblitoeca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena

Preparing for War: Florence and Siena before Montaperti

Jacopo Casagrande

Emperor Frederick II and the capture of the Milanese “Carroccio” after the Battle of Cortenuova in 1237. From the manuscript of Giovanni Villani, Nova Cronica 14th century, ms. Chigi L VIII 296, fol. 76v, Vatican Apostolic Library

1250-1259: A mounting cycle of violence

Jacopo Casagrande

Battle of Meloria - The illustration shows a simplified depiction of the naval battle. The emperor, who did not participate in the battle, is depicted on the left wearing a iron hat with a crown. Giovanni Villani, Chronica, 14th century, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome Cod. Chigi L VIII 296, fol. 76r.

Gueplhs, Ghibellines and the rise of Florence

Jacopo Casagrande

The Funeral of Buondelmonte Francesco Saverio Altamura, 1860 Oil on canvas Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Roma

The Murder of Buondelmonte

Jacopo Casagrande