# ON PISTOIAN MATTERS

ON PISTOIAN MATTERS

Since the thirteenth century, Pistoia, a wealthy city eighteen miles northwest of Florence, had been under the rule of either the city of Lucca or the city of Florence, and was governed by tyrannical lords such as Uguccione della Faggiuola and Castruccio Castracani (see The Life of Castruccio Castracani and Florentine Histories, chapters 29 and 30). In 1401 Pistoia finally came under Florentine rule, and as the city began to prosper in the early Renaissance, the clashes and skirmishes between the rivaling Panciatichi and Cancellieri factions grew. As Machiavelli pointed out in The Prince, chapter 20, “Our forefathers, and those we thought wise, used to say that Pistoia was to be held by factions and Pisa by fortresses.” But while Florence put all its resources into attacking the “fortresses” of Pisa, it loosened its grip on Pistoia, and the discord between the two Pistoian factions grew into an all-out civil war. This resulted in the Cancellieri exiling from Pistoia the Panciatichi, who then established themselves in strongholds in the villages and hills surrounding the city. This was particularly dangerous for Florence because the factions had supporters and allies both in Florence and throughout northern Italy (the Panciatici, for instance, were pro-Medici, while the Cancellieri had allies in the Florentine anti-Medici faction).

Machiavelli wrote this piece in mid-March 1502, titling it in Latin De rebus pistoriensibus (“On Pistoian Matters”). Throughout this period, he had been sent to Pistoia on a number of occasions to help negotiate peace and ensure Florence’s reestablishment of its dominion.

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It is well known that in August of 1500 the Panciatichi family was expelled from Pistoia by the Cancellieri family, and that slaughter and ruin ensued on both sides. The situation grew worse until our Signoria1 lost all control over Pistoia and its territories, so that the Signori,2 in session last March or April, considered every possible remedy for the situation, convinced that if the matter continued as it was, Pistoia would go the way of Pisa.3 The Signori convened numerous times with the Collegio and the Otto,4 and decided to send a commissioner with substantial forces to take control of Pistoia and reestablish order. A commissioner was sent last April, around the sixteenth, with a good number of cavalry, a salaried infantry, and a considerable number of regular soldiers, with six pieces of artillery and all the support needed to exercise force if it should be necessary. The commissioner entered the city with these forces and established his rule. The Signori of Florence decided to send two more commissioners with additional forces, who also set out for Pistoia that April, around the twenty-third. The Signoria had concluded and confirmed the particulars of the agreement according to which the commissioners were to act, and in order to institute its provisions, a number of Panciatichi and Cancellieri were brought to Florence and disarmed. The Panciatichi who wanted to return to Pistoia from exile were allowed to do so, and things in Pistoia settled down for a few days. But then Cesare Borgia and his army arrived at the gates of Florence, and the Signoria, no longer able to concentrate on Pistoia, had to withdraw all the forces it had sent there. As a result, the Panciatichi, their numbers already significantly diminished, either fled Pistoia of their own accord or were chased out, resulting in their renewed exile from the city. This was at the beginning of last May. The commissioners then returned to Florence, Pistoia remaining with its two chancellors but without military backing. As a result of this, worse turmoil than before ensued, which gave rise to many grave incidents. The turmoil continued until July and August of 1501.

Then word reached the Signoria of Florence that the Cancellieri and Panciatichi factions were meeting secretly to reach an accord, excluding the Signori or the chancellors. The Signoria doubted that such negotiations would be in Florence’s favor.5 They ascertained who from both factions might be prepared to come to an agreement, and, finding them well disposed, assigned two of the magistrates of the Signoria and two members of the Collegio to oversee the matter. They sent an emissary to the Panciatichi who were stationed outside Pistoia, and another into the city, to ensure that neither party took any action on its own. Finally, after a long discussion by the committee, the articles of peace were agreed to and ratified on the twenty-first of August 1501. Florence then appointed new commissioners, who departed for Pistoia on the fifth of September, and from that day until the twentieth of October they worked on obtaining guarantees from the families and securing peace in accordance with the articles. This was done, and our Signori, wanting to conclude the peace and bring the Panciatichi back into Pistoia, sent a new commissioner with armed forces, and on the twentieth of October last they reinstated the Panciatichi in the city and established a guard, a measure deemed necessary to maintain the Panciatichi there. The situation remained thus until the twenty-third of February 1502.

The reason for the tumult breaking out again has been reported in different ways. It was dealt with in the following manner: The chancellors in Pistoia informed the Florentine Signoria of the outbreak of violence and urged them to send a commissioner. The Signori immediately appointed Tommaso Tosinghi. He left on the twenty-third of February, but in Pistoia he found that the Panciatichi had again been chased out, that there had been injuries, that two of the magistrates and the captain of the infantry had been killed (all three of whom had been of the Panciatichi faction), and certain houses looted and torched. The commissioners took every measure to ensure that the violence would not increase. Then the Signoria, wanting to settle things once and for all, called Tommaso Tosinghi back in order to consult with him. They concluded first that Florence had to take complete control of Pistoia, and after that they would see how to proceed. Consequently our Signori, without tarrying, ordered that by the seventeenth of this month an infantry of seven hundred men will have been gathered and sent to Pistoia along with ninety mounted crossbowmen. Pagolo da Parrano, who is currently in Pescia with forty mounted crossbowmen, has been sent moneys and directed to take orders from the commissioners of Pistoia. Our Signori have ordered all these forces to be ready by the seventeenth of this month, so that once the soldiers receive their pay they will take control of Pistoia, set up guards at strategic points, punish the delinquents, and force the leaders of the two factions to come to Florence. They would also destroy and dismantle all the fortifications, and take from both factions the artillery and as many weapons as they could. The commissioners, as they have the authority, have already accomplished this to a large extent. They have begun punishing the delinquents and have initiated proceedings against them. They have ordered the men from both factions to present themselves in Florence by the twenty-fifth of this month, and a good number of them have already complied. They have taken from the factions all their artillery and other weapons, and have dismantled fortifications.

It now remains for the Florentine Signoria to decide how we should proceed, particularly in the question of reforming the city of Pistoia. All this, as the commissioners have pointed out, is up to us, as none of the Panciatichi or the Cancellieri—more than 150 men, along with other rebels and troublemakers—are in Pistoia now. Hence it will not be difficult to implement any measures that the Signoria will decide upon.

1. The chief executive council of Florence.

2. The magistrates of the chief executive council of Florence.

3. Florence had lost Pisa in 1494.

4. The Collegio were a special council that convened in emergencies, and the Otto di Pratica a council of eight responsible for Florence’s external affairs.

5. The Florentine Signoria would have appraised such secret meetings as an attempt by the two factions to join forces to oust Florence from Pistoia, gaining independence for the city.