DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61902#0067
THE MAKERS OF FLORENCE.
45
Then the Cerchi turned round, and a tumult arose and swords were
drawn and several persons were wounded, among whom were Rico-
verino di Messer Ricovero de’ Cerchi, wounded in the nose, no one
knew by whom, the Cerchi themselves saying little about it, in
order to have more secure revenge.”
This brawl, adds an ancient historian, was preceded by
a public misadventure quite enough to account for it.
“The year before this the Palace of the Commune was
built, which began at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio over
Arno, toward the castle Altafronte ; and in order to build
this, a pillar was made at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio,
and the statue of Mars was removed there ; and whereas
first it looked toward the east, it was turned toward the
north, upon which, according to an ancient prophecy, the
people said, “Please God that there be not great changes
in our city.”
Other events, however, which were of greater individual
importance in the poet’s life occurred in the same spring,
which so threatened the peace of Florence. By this time he
was one of the best known among the poets of his time-
known by the sonnets and canzoni of the “Vita Nuova,” and
most likely by many fugitive compositions which have not
lasted to our day ; but he was not as yet the poet of
heaven and hell, the greatest singer of Italy. The popular
knowledge of his productions is shown by various quaint
stories still preservedin the records of Boccaccio and Sac-
chetti. The following taken from Sacchetti gives us a
glimpse of the poet’s impatient temper as well as his popu-
lar fame :
“When Dante had dined he went out, and passing by the Porta
San Pietro heard a blacksmith beating iron upon the anvil and singing
some of his verses like a song, jumbling the lines together, mutilating
and confusing them, so that it seemed to Dante that he was receiving
a great injury. He said nothing, but going into the blacksmith’s shop,
where there were many articles made in iron, he took up his hammer
45
Then the Cerchi turned round, and a tumult arose and swords were
drawn and several persons were wounded, among whom were Rico-
verino di Messer Ricovero de’ Cerchi, wounded in the nose, no one
knew by whom, the Cerchi themselves saying little about it, in
order to have more secure revenge.”
This brawl, adds an ancient historian, was preceded by
a public misadventure quite enough to account for it.
“The year before this the Palace of the Commune was
built, which began at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio over
Arno, toward the castle Altafronte ; and in order to build
this, a pillar was made at the foot of the Ponte Vecchio,
and the statue of Mars was removed there ; and whereas
first it looked toward the east, it was turned toward the
north, upon which, according to an ancient prophecy, the
people said, “Please God that there be not great changes
in our city.”
Other events, however, which were of greater individual
importance in the poet’s life occurred in the same spring,
which so threatened the peace of Florence. By this time he
was one of the best known among the poets of his time-
known by the sonnets and canzoni of the “Vita Nuova,” and
most likely by many fugitive compositions which have not
lasted to our day ; but he was not as yet the poet of
heaven and hell, the greatest singer of Italy. The popular
knowledge of his productions is shown by various quaint
stories still preservedin the records of Boccaccio and Sac-
chetti. The following taken from Sacchetti gives us a
glimpse of the poet’s impatient temper as well as his popu-
lar fame :
“When Dante had dined he went out, and passing by the Porta
San Pietro heard a blacksmith beating iron upon the anvil and singing
some of his verses like a song, jumbling the lines together, mutilating
and confusing them, so that it seemed to Dante that he was receiving
a great injury. He said nothing, but going into the blacksmith’s shop,
where there were many articles made in iron, he took up his hammer