Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 2.djvu/228

 212 "ALT. summons the next day to Ser Pace to appear before the Inquisi- tion as suspect of heresy and fautorship, under pam of forfeiture of office The fervid rhetoric of Fra Piero poured oil upon the flames, and the city found itself divided into two factions, not un- equally matched and eager to fly at each other. Taking advan- tage of the assembling of the faithful in the churches on a feast- day the podesta sounded the tocsin, and many unarmed Catholics are said to have been slaughtered before the altars. Then on St. Bartholomew's day (August 24) Ruggieri and Bishop Ardingho, m the Piazza di S. Maria Novella, publicly read a sentence condemn- ing the Baroni, confiscating their possessions, and ordering tlieir castles and palaces to be destroyed, which naturaUy led to a bloody collision between the factions. Piero then placed himself at the head of the Compagnia della Fede, carrying a standard like the other captains, among whom the de' Rossi were the most conspicu- ous Under his leadership two murderous battles were fought, one at the Croce al Trebbio and the other in the Piazza di S. Fe- licita in both of which the heretics were utterly routed. Monu- ment's still mark the scene of these victories ; and, until recent times, the banner which San Piero gave to the de' Rossi was still carried by the Compagnia di San Piero Martire on the celebration of his birthday, April 29, while the one which he bore himself is preserved among the relics of Santa Maria Novella and is publicly displayed on his feast-day. Thus was destroyed in Florence the power of the heretics and of the Ghibellines. Ruggieri, for his steadfast courage, was re- warded before the close of 1245, with the bishopric of Castro, and was succeeded as inquisitor by San Piero himself, whose indefati- gable zeal aUowed the heretics no rest. Many of them, recogmzing the futility of further resistance, abandoned their errors ; others fled and when Piero left Florence he could boast that heresy was conquered and the Inquisition established on an impregnable basis ; though Rainerio's estimate of the Florentine Cathari, some yeai^ later, shows that it still had an ample harvest to reward its labors. • Lami op cit. pp. 560-85.-Lami's account of these troubles, based upon original so'urces, is so complete that I have followed it without reference to other autoorities. Most of the documents are still in the Archives of Florence (ArchiT. Diplom., Prov. S. Maria Novella, ann. 1245). ., The Compagnia della Fede, known subseciuently as del Bigallo,was changed