Political-institutional developments in fifteenth-century Bologna are marked above all by the city’s relationship with the papacy, holder of de iure sovereignty over city, with which, from 1392, when the magistracy of the anziani consoli obtained vicariate jurisdiction over the city from Pope Boniface IX, the civic ruling class established a serried diplomatic dialogue, comprised of requests and negotiations, in continuous tension between sovereign demands and attempts to expand libertas, as well as the political ascent of the Bentivoglio family, first as leader of one of the oligarchical factions in the first half of the century, then as holder of de facto power in the city from the mid-Quattrocento. This essay has a twofold focus: on the one hand the series of revolts in the first half of the century against Church dominion, led by rival factions, with subsequent attempts to establish contracts with Rome that provided space for self-government, and on the other hand the series of institutional reforms that accompanied those contracts, leading to the strengthening of the magistracy of the Sedici riformatori dello Stato di libertà, originally a temporary commission (balia), which especially after the reforms of 1428 became the true seat of governmental authority. Continued diplomatic dialogue with Rome resulted in a compromise established during the pontificate of Nicholas V: papal support of Sante Bentivoglio guaranteed to the Bentivoglio faction access to the government of the city and the attainment of important institutional reforms. The pacts stipulated with Rome in 1447 initiated the so-called “governo misto” of Bologna: a distinctive form of equilibrium that saw the presence, at the vertex of civic institutional architecture, of the Sedici riformatori and the pontifical legate, in a synergetic relationship destined to last the rest of the century. In 1454, on the wave of the agreement that had been reached, the final collection of Bolognese statutes were promulgated, which remained in force for all of the Ancien Régime: the statutes crystallized the situation delineated in the capitoli of Nicholas V, formalizing the form of “governo misto.” In the second half of the century, the civic political course was characterized by the signoria de facto of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, whom the reform of the Sedici riformatori promulgated in 1466 by Paul II consecrated to a position of primacy. The domination of Giovanni II was made possible by consensus on the part of the governmental elite within the Sedici reformatori, by the presence of conniving pontifical legates, and by the support of the great Italian signori. The latter guaranteed Giovanni II’s maintenance of his role as primus inter pares in the city especially by economic support (through a series of military condotte) and by diplomatic support on the part of the Sforza of Milan. The dominion of Giovanni II was based on a policy of political control and patronage that left the institutional structure of 1454 formally in place, but always more deprived of authority. During the final decades of the century the government of Giovanni II deteriorated from a growing internal opposition (conspiracies and despotic reactions by Bentivoglio) and the imminent collapse of the system of Italian states caused by the Italian Wars, which made clear the weak position of Bologna, which in turn was finally sacrificed in the process of pacification between Rome and France. The Bentivoglio signoria ended in 1506 with the capture of Bologna by Pope Julius II, but the form of coexistence between self-government and sovereignty contracted in the course of the Quattrocento remained the institutional structure of early modern Bologna.

Libertas, Oligarchy, Papacy: Government in the Quattrocento

DURANTI, TOMMASO
2017

Abstract

Political-institutional developments in fifteenth-century Bologna are marked above all by the city’s relationship with the papacy, holder of de iure sovereignty over city, with which, from 1392, when the magistracy of the anziani consoli obtained vicariate jurisdiction over the city from Pope Boniface IX, the civic ruling class established a serried diplomatic dialogue, comprised of requests and negotiations, in continuous tension between sovereign demands and attempts to expand libertas, as well as the political ascent of the Bentivoglio family, first as leader of one of the oligarchical factions in the first half of the century, then as holder of de facto power in the city from the mid-Quattrocento. This essay has a twofold focus: on the one hand the series of revolts in the first half of the century against Church dominion, led by rival factions, with subsequent attempts to establish contracts with Rome that provided space for self-government, and on the other hand the series of institutional reforms that accompanied those contracts, leading to the strengthening of the magistracy of the Sedici riformatori dello Stato di libertà, originally a temporary commission (balia), which especially after the reforms of 1428 became the true seat of governmental authority. Continued diplomatic dialogue with Rome resulted in a compromise established during the pontificate of Nicholas V: papal support of Sante Bentivoglio guaranteed to the Bentivoglio faction access to the government of the city and the attainment of important institutional reforms. The pacts stipulated with Rome in 1447 initiated the so-called “governo misto” of Bologna: a distinctive form of equilibrium that saw the presence, at the vertex of civic institutional architecture, of the Sedici riformatori and the pontifical legate, in a synergetic relationship destined to last the rest of the century. In 1454, on the wave of the agreement that had been reached, the final collection of Bolognese statutes were promulgated, which remained in force for all of the Ancien Régime: the statutes crystallized the situation delineated in the capitoli of Nicholas V, formalizing the form of “governo misto.” In the second half of the century, the civic political course was characterized by the signoria de facto of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, whom the reform of the Sedici riformatori promulgated in 1466 by Paul II consecrated to a position of primacy. The domination of Giovanni II was made possible by consensus on the part of the governmental elite within the Sedici reformatori, by the presence of conniving pontifical legates, and by the support of the great Italian signori. The latter guaranteed Giovanni II’s maintenance of his role as primus inter pares in the city especially by economic support (through a series of military condotte) and by diplomatic support on the part of the Sforza of Milan. The dominion of Giovanni II was based on a policy of political control and patronage that left the institutional structure of 1454 formally in place, but always more deprived of authority. During the final decades of the century the government of Giovanni II deteriorated from a growing internal opposition (conspiracies and despotic reactions by Bentivoglio) and the imminent collapse of the system of Italian states caused by the Italian Wars, which made clear the weak position of Bologna, which in turn was finally sacrificed in the process of pacification between Rome and France. The Bentivoglio signoria ended in 1506 with the capture of Bologna by Pope Julius II, but the form of coexistence between self-government and sovereignty contracted in the course of the Quattrocento remained the institutional structure of early modern Bologna.
2017
A Companion to Medieval and Renaissance Bologna
260
288
Duranti, Tommaso
File in questo prodotto:
Eventuali allegati, non sono esposti

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/612759
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 1
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact