The Buondelmonte murder of 1216

13^th C. Florence:
noble tensions, origin of Guelf and Ghibelline factions

Chronicle account from: Pseudo Brunetto Latini, Cronica (late 13^th C)

In the year 1216, when Messer Currado Orlandi was podestà, Messer Mazzingo Tegrimi
of the family Mazzinghi had himself knighted at a place called Campi, some six miles from
Florence, and invited there all the best people [tutta la buona gente] of the town.  When
all the knights had sat down to meat, a buffoon snatched away the full plate set before
Messer Uberto dell’Infangati, who was paired at table with Messer Buondelmonte de’
Buondelmonti.  This angered Messer Uberto greatly, and Messer Oddo Arrighi de’ Fifanti,
a man of valor, roughly reproved him on this account.  In reply Messer Uberto told him he
lied in his throat, at which Messer Arrighi tossed a full plate in his face.  The whole assembly
was in an uproar.  When the tables had been removed, Messer Buondelmonte struck Messer
Oddo Arrighi with a knife and wounded him severely.

As soon as all the company had returned to their homes, Messer Oddo Arrighi took counsel
with his friends and relatives, among whom were the counts of Gangalandi, the Uberti, the
Lamberti and the Amidei.  Their advice was that peace should be concluded over the matter,
as a sign of which Messer Buondelmonte should take for wife the daughter of Messer
Lambertuccio de’ Amidei, who lived at the head of the bridge.  The bride-to-be was the niece
of Messer Oddo Arrighi.  Accordingly the marriage contract was drawn up and the peace
arranged; on the following day the wedding was to be celebrated.

Then Madonna Gualdrada, wife of Messer Forese Donati, sent secretly for Messer
Buondelmonte and when he came spoke to him as follows: “Knight, you are forever disgraced
by taking a wife out of fear of the Uberti and the Fifanti; leave her you have taken and take this
other [i.e. her own daughter] and your honor as knight will be restored.”  As soon as he had
heard, he resolved to do as he was told without taking counsel with any of his kin.  And when
on the following day, the morning of Thursday February 11, the guests of both parties had
assembled, Messer Buondelmonte passed through the gate of Santa Maria and went to pledge
his troth with the girl of the Donati family, and left the Amidei girl waiting at the church door.

This insult enraged Messer Oddo Arrighi greatly and he held a meeting with all his friends
and relatives in the church of Santa Maria sopra Porta. When all were assembled he complained
in strong terms of the disgrace put upon him by Messer Buondelmonte.  Some counseled that
Buondelmonte be given a cudgeling, others that he be wounded in the face. At this spoke up
Messer Mosca de’ Lamberti: “Whoever beats or wounds him, let him first see that his own grave
has been dug;  a thing done has an end [cosa fatta capo ha ].”  They then decided that the
vendetta was to be carried out at the very place where the injury had been done, when the
parties had gathered for the exchange of the marriage vows.

And so it came about that on Easter morning, with his bride at his side, Messer Buondelmonte
came riding over the bridge in a doublet of silk and mantle, with a wreath around his brow. 
No sooner had he arrived at the statue of Mars [at  Ponte Vecchio], than Messer Schiatta degli
Uberti rushed upon him and, striking him on the crown with his mace, brought him to earth. 
At once Messer Oddo Arrighi was on top of him and opened his veins with a knife. And having
killed him, they fled.  The ambush had occurred at the houses of Amidei  who lived at the head
of the bridge.  Immediately there was a tremendous tumult.  The body of the murdered man was
placed on a bier, and the bride took her seat next to him, holding his head in her lap and weeping
aloud.  In this manner the procession moved through all Florence.  And on this day, for the first
time, new names were heard, those of the Guelf party and the Ghibelline party.

From: Ferdinand Schevill, Medieval and Renaissance Florence (1961), pp. 106-107

Later chronicle version (shorter):

From: Giovanni Villani, Chronicle of Florence  (early 14^th C)

In the year 1215, when Gherardo Orlandi was podestà of Florence, Bondelmonte dei
Buondelmonti promised to marry a young woman from the house of Amidei, honorable
and noble citizens. Later, as Buondelmonte, a graceful and skillful horseman, was riding
through the city, a woman from the house of Donati called to him and criticized the marriage
agreement he had made, saying his betrothed was neither beautiful nor fine enough for him.
"I've been saving my own daughter for you," she said, and showed the daughter to him. The
daughter was very beautiful and immediately with the devil's connivance, Buondelmonte was
so smitten that he married her.

The first girl's family met together, smarting from the shame Buondelmonte had placed upon them,
and they were filled with a terrible indignation that would destroy and divide the city of Florence.
Many noblehouses plotted together to bring shame on Buondelmonte in reprisal for these injuries.
As they were discussing whether they should beat or wound him, Mosca dei Lamberti spoke the
evil words, "A thing done is done" [ Cosa fatta capo ha], that is, they should kill him. And thus it
happened, for on Easter morning the Amidei of Santo Stefano assembled in their house, and as
Buondelmonte came from the other side of the Arno nobly attired in new, white clothes, riding a
white palfrey, when he arrived on this side of the old bridge, precisely at the foot of the pillar where
the statue of Mars stood, he was pulled from his horse by Schiatta degli Uberti, assaulted and
wounded by Mosca Lamberti and Lambertuccio degli Amidei, and finished off by Oderigo Fifanti. 
With them was one of the Counts of Gangalandi.

As a result, the city was thrown into strife and disorder, for Buondelmonte's death was the
cause and beginning of the cursed Guelf and Ghibelline parties in Florence. To be sure, there
were already divisions among the noble citizens, and these parties already existed because of
the quarrels and disputes between church and empire; yet it was because of Buondelmonte's
death that all the noble families and other Florentine citizens were divided into factions, some
siding with the Buondelmonti, leaders of the Guelf party, and others with the Uberti, leaders
of the Ghibellines

From on line Medieval Source Book: <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/villani.html>