Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/141

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PISA


111


PISA


The Pisans obtained great concessions in Palestine and in the principality of Antioch by lending their ships for the transportation of crusaders in 1099, and there- after people of all nations were to be found in their city. In 1063 they had made an attempt against Palermo, and in lli4 led by the consul, Azzo Marig- nani, conquered the Balearic Islands. Pisa supported the emperors at an early date, and Henry IV, in 1084, confirmed its statutes and its maritime rights. With its fleet, it supported the expedition of Lothair II to Calabria, destroying in 1137 the maritime cities of Ravello, La Scala, la Fratta, and above all, Amalfi, which then lost its commercial standing. The Pisans also gave their assistance to Henry IV in the conquest of Sicily, and as reward lost the advantages that they had then enjoyed.

The reprisals of Innocent III in Sardinia led the Pisans to espouse the cause of Otto IV and that of Frederick II, and Pisa became the head and refuge of the Ghibellines of Tuscany, and, accordingly, a fierce enemy of Florence. The victory of Montaperti (1260) marks the culmination of Pisan power. Commercial jealousy, political hatred, and the fact that Pisa ac- corded protection to certain petty lords of Corsica, who were in rebellion against Genoa, brought about another war, in which one hundred and seven Genoese ships defeated one hundred and three ships of the Pisans, at La Meloria, the former taking ten thousand prisoners. All would have been lost, if Ugolino della Gherardesca, capitano del popolo and poiiesta, had not pro\'idently taken charge of the Government. But as he had protected the Guelphs, Archbishop Ruggieri degli Ubaldini took up arms against him, and shut him up (1288) in the tower of the Gualandi, where with his sons he starved to death (Inferno, XXXIII, 13). At the peace of 1290, Pisa was compelled to resign its rights over Corsica and the possession of Sassari in Sardinia. The Pisans hoped to retrieve themselves by inviting Henry VII to establi.sh himself in their city, offering him two million florins for his war against Florence, and their fleet for the conquest of Naples; but his death in 1313 put an end to these hopes. Thereupon they elected (1314) Uguccione della Fa- giuola of Lucca as their lord; but they rid themselves of him in the same year. At the approach of Louis the Bavarian, they besought that prince not to enter Pisa; but Castruccio degli Antelniinelli incited Louis to besiege the city, with the result that Pisa surren- dered in 1327, and paid a large sum of money to the victor. In 1329 Louis resided there again, with the antipope, Pietro di Corvara. Internal dissensions and the competition of Genoa and Barcelona brought about the decay of Pisan commerce. To remedy financial evils, the duties on merchandise were in- creased, which, however, produced a greater loss, for Florence abandoned the port of Pisa. In 1400 GaleazzoVisconti bought Pisa from GherardoAppiani, lord of the city. In 140.5, Gabriele M. Visconti having stipulated the sale of Pisa to the Florentines, the Pisans made a supreme effort to oppose that humilia- tion; the town, however, was taken and its principal citizens exiled. The expedition of Charles VIII re- stored its independence (1494-1509) ; but the city was unable to rise again to its former prosperity. L'nder Cosimo de' Medici, there were better times, especially for the university.

Among the natives of Pisa were: B. Pellegrino (seventh century); B. Chiara (d. in 1419), and B. Pietro, founder of the Hermits of St. Jerome (d. in 1435); B. Giordano da Pisa, O.P. (d. in 1311); and Gregory X. Connected with the church of San Pietro in Grado there is a legend according to which St. Peter landed at Pisa, and left there his disciple St. Pierinus. The first known bishop was Gaudentius, present at the Council of Rome (313). Other bishops were St. Senior (410), who consecrated St. Patrick; Joannes (493); one, name unknown, who took part in the schism of


the Three Chapters (556) ; Alexander (648) ; Mauri- anus (680) ; one, name unknown, taken prisoner by Charlemagne at thesiegeof Pavia (774) ; Oppizo (1039), the founder of the Camaldolite convent of S. Michele; Landulfus (1077), sent by Gregory VII as legate to Cor- sica; Gerardus (1080), an able controversiaUst against the Greeks; Diabertus (1085), the first archbishop, to whom Urban II gave the sees of Corsica as suffragans in 1099, the first Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; Pietro Moriconi (1105). In 1121, on account of the jealousy of Genoa, the bishops of Corsica were made immedi- ately dependent upon the Holy See, but Honorius II (1126) restored the former status of Pisa as their met- ropohtan; in 1133, however. Innocent II divided them between Pisa and Genoa which was then made an archdiocese. Thereafter, Pisa received for suffragans also Populonia and two sees in Sardinia. Other bishops were: Cardinal Uberto Lanfranchi (1132), who often served as pontifical legate; Cardinal Vil- lano Gaetani (1145), compelled to flee from the city


Tino da Camaino, Campo Santo, Pisa


on account of his fidelity to Alexander III (1167); Lotario Rosari (1208), also Patriarch of Jerusalem (1216); Federico Visconti (1254), who held provincial synods in 1258, 1260, and 1262; Oddone della Sala (1312) had litigations with the republic, and later be- came Patriarch of Alexandria; Simone Saltorelli; Gio- vanni Scarlatti (1348), who had been legate to Armenia and to the emperor at Constantinople; Lotto Gamba- corta (1381), compelled to flee, after the death of his brotherPietro.tyrant of Pisa (1392); AlamannoAdinari (1406), a cardinal who had an important part in the conciliabulum of Pisa and in the Council of Constance; Cardinal Francesco Salviati Riario (1475), hung at Florence in connexion with the conspiracy of the Pazzi; in 1479 he was succeeded by his nephew, Rafaele Riario, who narrowly escaped being a \'ictim of the same conspiracy; Cesare Riario (1499); Car- dinal Scipione Rebita (1556); Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici (1560), a son of Cosimo; Cardinal Angelo Niccohni (1564) ; Carlo Antonio Pozzi (1582), founder of the Puteano college, and author of works on canon and on civil law; Giulio de' Medici (1620), served on missions for the duke, founded the seminary, intro- duced wise reforms, and evinced great charity during the pest of 1629; Cardinal Scipione Pannocchieschi (1636); Cardinal Cosimo Corsi (1853-70). Important councils have been in 1135, against Anacletus II and the heretic Enrico, leader of the Petrobrusiani in 1409, which increased the schism by the deposition of Gregory XII and of Benedict XIII, and by the elec- tion of Alexander V; in 1511, brought about by a few schismatic cardinals and French bishops at the instiga- tion of Louis XII against Julius II.

Leghorn, Pescia, Pontremoli, and Volterra are the suffragans of Pisa; the archdiocese has 136 parishes;